INTRODUCTION, . xiii 
breed to all gentlemen, farmers, and others, who think amy 
ufeful preference in fwine not below their notice. 
Confidered in a national point of view, fuch improve- 
ments, and an ample fupply of the pig-market, are of the 
firft confequence. For many months together, when beef 
and mutton were at an enormous price, too high to admit 
of poor, and even middling, families affording to eat them, 
pork and bacon, from a feafonable exertion of the breeders, 
were at fo moderate a price, as to make the {carcity of other 
articles but little felt. In fome of our markets good pork 
was to be purchafed at little more than half the price per 
pound that the beft beef and mutton were fold at. And 
here it muft not be deemed an arrogant claim, which ‘the 
Bath and Weft of England Society may make, to feafonable 
ufefulnefs in this matter. In the year 1796, it will be re- 
collected, how great was the alarm through the country 
of an apprehended more-general fearcity than was even then 
felt. “The moft ftrenuous exertions for the production of 
potatoes, and the moft fpeedy increafe of the number of pzgs, 
were confidered as the moft obvious means, under Provi- 
dential bleffing, of obviating the threatened difficulty. The 
_ latter exertion efpecially was recommended to the country 
in a prefling paragraph, drawn up at the inftance of fome of 
our moft aétive and provident members, and circulated 
through almoft all the newfpapers of the nation. This 
_ paragraph called on all perfons who pofleffed a fow capable 
of fpeedy breeding, to embrace that mode of contributing 
a thare of the general fupply. The confequence was, the 
moft feafonable and expeditious aid. he benefit of the 
happy general exertion was foon felt, to the comfort, and, 
perhaps, in alarge degree to the quiet, of the country. And 
_ this is the more remarkable, when the vaft confumptioa, 
and neceffary watte, of furnifhing large navies, and armies 
encamped, are confidered. On 
