NATURAL HISTORY. 



SOS 



Uie known characters of the presi- 

 ' dent and secretary, the public are 

 justified in entertaining the most 

 sanguine expectations. 



1 must confess, I should have be- 

 held, with concern, so deserving a 

 veteran in the service of agricul- 

 ture, retiring from the field, disre- 

 garded and unrewarded by that 

 community to whose aggrandize- 

 ment he has long devoted the la- 

 bours of his pen, and the sweat of 

 his brow. The gialitude of the 

 state preserves comfort and inde- 

 pendence to the veteran soldier, 

 the vigour of whose youth has been 

 exhausted in fighting her battles, 

 and advancing her cause. And al- 

 though you have neither wielded the 

 sword, nor pointed the cannon in 

 her defence ; the pillar of your fame 

 simply ornamented with the plough 

 and thejieece, shall prove more du- 

 r3bl<j than one stained with Hood, 

 and emMazoned with all the tro- 

 phies of war. 



Having sent some communica- 

 tions to sir John Sinclair, for the 

 History of Midd!..sex Agriculture, 

 which the ingenious Mr. Beard has 

 incorporated into his accurate sur- 

 vey ; and having been requested, 

 by the woithy president of the 

 board, to continue my communica- 

 tions for the more complete investi- 

 gation of the subject; in sir John's 

 absence, I take the liberty of ad- 

 dressing a few particulars to you, as 

 secretary to tlie board, which may 

 be published in the Aniial!., or in- 

 corporated into some future copy of 

 the Survey of Middlesex, or both, 

 as you may judge proper. 



In the last paper which I had the 

 honour of communicating to the 

 Annals, I expressed a wish for the 

 establishment of a nalioral ecperi- 

 menlal farm ; and alihou^^li 1 am 



Vol. XXXVI. 



still of opinion, that the advantages 

 attending such an institution would 

 be great, and more than a counter- 

 balance to the expence ; yet, as 

 many difficulties would occur re- 

 specting the mode of conducting it 

 and the sum to be allowed by go- 

 vernment, it appears to me, that a 

 method of pursuing agricultural ex- 

 periments might be adopted, with- 

 out iucu'ring any considerable 

 trouble or expence. Let a num- 

 ber of corresponding members be 

 selected from the principal farmers 

 and landholders, who might be 

 willing to co-operate with the 

 board of agriculture. They might 

 be requested annually to attend a 

 public meeting of the board, when 

 a list of experiments for the ensu- 

 ing year might be made out, and 

 allotted to the landholders present, 

 according to the nature of the soil 

 they occupied, and the advantages 

 for conducting the experiments, 

 wh'ch their situations might respec- 

 tively admit of. Corresponding 

 members might be selected from si- 

 tuations which command the use of 

 marl, chalk, and lime for the com- 

 plete investigation of these valuable 

 mniures. And in regard to live 

 stock and the utensils rfhuslandry, 

 there can be no doubt, but that a 

 sullicieut number of farmers might 

 be procured from the leading men 

 in their profession, who could fa- 

 vour the board v;ith such communi- 

 cations, as would tend greatly to 

 ascertain the best instruments for 

 the cultivation of different soils, and 

 tho most profitable stock, that can 

 engage the attention of the grazier. 



On sucklnig Calves. 



Though Smithfield market is 



chiefly supplied with fat calves from 



^ tlia 



