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TO THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



MR. PRESIDENT, 



I AM fully fenfible of the advantages that may refult from 

 fuch a laudable inftitution as the organization of a Society, 

 whofe principal bufmefs is to promote Agriculture, Manufadures, 

 and the Arts, in this extenfive, and, in fome meafure, 

 uncultivated ftate. — Though agriculture has been my principal 

 employment, and I have the honour of being one of the 

 members of this Society, yet I feel every imprefTion of my 

 inability of doing that juflice to the fociety, and to an 

 employment in which a majority of the citizens are engaged, 

 or even of coming up to the expedation of fome, yet I 

 fhall, with cheerfulnefs, communicate, in the ftile that is 

 moil fuited to my common capacity, fome obfervations and 

 experiments that I have made on manuring of land, and the 

 manner that the fallov/ ground ought to be prepared, together 

 wiih fome obfervations on manures. 



Previous to the year 1787, I was induced to think that 

 there was on every continent, or large trad of land, a fufficient 

 quantity of manure floating in the lower regions of the 

 atmofphere, in every feafon, to afford a luxuriant fupply for 

 the production of vegetables. The fuppofition arofe from the 

 following obfervations, viz. That of the manner that hills 



