toes) ANNUALR 
it more valuable to the person who 
received it, and more creditable to 
the board, in consequence of whose 
recommendation it had been ob- 
tained. ‘That the board had this 
day appointed a committee for the 
purpose of attending to that subject 
during the recess ; by whose exer- 
tion, he had na doubt considerable 
progress would be made, in the 
course even of this year, in having 
those individuals taught who might 
be sent with that view to Mr. 
Elkington. 
That there is no duty more in- 
cumbent on a board of agriculture, 
than that of recommending such 
measures as are the most likely to 
provide a sufficient quantity of food 
for the people : recommendation, it 
is well known, is all thata beard 
possessed of such limited powers can 
attempt ; but in that respect it for- 
tunately seems to be possessed of 
considerable influences. The defi- 
ciency of the last crop becoming 
too apparent at the commerncemeit 
of this year, an extraordinary meet- 
ing was held to take the subject into 
consideration, when the board re- 
solved to recommend the culture of 
potatoes as in every point of view 
the resource the easiest to be ob- 
tained, and the most to be depend- 
ed on. By accounts received from 
various parts of the island it appears 
that the recommendation had been 
attended with the best consequences. 
There is every reason to believe 
that perhaps 50,000 additional acres 
of potatoes have been planted in 
consequence of that recommenda- 
tion. As each acre of potatoes will 
feed, at an average, from eight to 
ten people for twelve months, it is 
probable that the board have been 
the means of raising as great a quan- 
tity of that food. as will main ain 
nearly a million of people for six 
EGISTER, 1795. 
months, and consequently it will 
have been the happy instrument of 
_preventing thevrisk of scarcity or fa- 
mine during the ensuing season. For 
the purpose of increasing that cul- 
ture in future, and of ascertaining 
the principles on which it could best 
be conducted, a report has been 
drawn up and printed, which con- 
tains all the intormation that could 
be collected in Great Britain and 
Ireland, or from foreign publications 
on the subject of potatoes. 
That for many years past constant 
complaints have been made of the 
increasing price of provisions. Many 
causes have been assigned for such a 
circumstance, and many remedies 
suggested; but the most effectual 
one undoubtedly is that of cultiva- 
ting the many millions of acres now 
lying waste and unproductive. That 
to that point he should take the li- 
berty of calling the attention of the 
board early in the course of the en- 
suing session ; and Jn the interim he 
trusted that the members of the 
board would pay every possible alt= 
tenuon to the subject. 
“ Let as cut. off those legal bars, 
“ Which crush the culture of our fruit- 
“ ful Isle ; 
“Were they remov'd, 
“ wealth would flow; 
“Our wastes would then with varied 
“ produce sinile, 
“And England soon a second Eden 
“ prove.” 
unbounded 
The last, and perhaps the most 
important object to which the at- 
tention of the board can be directed, 
is that of attending to the situation 
and circumstances of the lower 
orders of the people. That impor- 
tant branch of our duty had not 
been negleeted during the course of 
the present session. In addition to 
the specific measures above alluded 
to, a special committee was ap- 
eas pointed 
