INTRODUCTION. xH 



from intem^tion of the mill, and other caufes, be often too 

 young for confumption. But, befides having, on the plan 

 of buying flour, the advantage of a regular fupply, feveral 

 chances are in favour of frequently buying fuch flour 

 cheaper in proportion than the market-price of wheat. 

 And as to the quality of it, I fhould recommend that it 

 be never coarfer than that drefled through the fecond cloth, 

 having in it all the fine. This ftandard quality is more ea- 

 fily known, by attention, than fufpicious perfons are aware 

 of; and it would commonly happen that fome one or more 

 perfons concerned in the vending would be competent judges 

 of quality. Good judges have no doubt that a preference 

 of the beft feconds, i. e. flour drefled from the meal through 

 a fecond cloth, and confequently containing all the fine, 

 fhould be given to any inferior fort ; both becaufe it would 

 give the confumers more fatisfadtion, and becaufe the ge- 

 neral reafoning of the poor, in this matter, is right, " that 

 " the beft bread is cheapeft in the end for a poor family."— 

 There are ufes fufficient for all the ofi^al. 



Such remarks on Bread and Flour ^ though not ftridtly 

 agricultural, will be excufed; and, however difi^erently gen- 

 tlemen may happen to think on fome points, they will at 

 lead allow that thefe are fubjeds, about which an officer of 

 a popular fociety cannot be improperly folicitous. 



Another obje£t, of no trivial concern, has occupied the 

 attention of the Society of late, and that is, the improve- 

 ment of Cattle and Sheep for general /lock. Of cattle and 

 (heep, it is difficult to fay which have been moft the fub- 

 je£ls of experiment in different parts of the nation, for 

 for many years paft. Individuals, as was naturally to be 

 expedted, have been fometimes prematurely fanguine in fa- 

 vour of particular races of animals which had attradted their 



VOL. viii, c notices 



