PREFACE. 



IX 



wealth and power of this Ifland, as well as of its ornament and 

 fecurity. 



The Society for the encounigements of Arts, Manufadures, and 

 Commerce, have taken This under Their peculiar care : and what 

 may we not expe£l from a Society, the Members whereof are fo 

 well qiialified to direct and improve the mofl ufeful inquiries ; and 

 who generoufly diilribute their private bounties, to reward the la- 

 bour, and indemnify the charge, of fuch experiments, as tend to 

 promote any ufeful knowledge, or national advantage ! 



To return to the work before us. It is divided into four parts. 

 The firft contains the general principles of Agriculture, together 

 with the mofl: approved practice in the old hulbandry ; in which 

 the reafoning of Mr. Evelyn is chiefly followed, as the mofl rational 

 that has hitherto appeared, though undefervedly neglefred by our 

 writers on Agriculture. It is a misfortune to practical farmers, that 

 his excellent Difcoiirji of Earth, for want of having been oftener 

 printed feparate from his other works, has not been fo well known to 

 them, as a performance of that great merit deferves. Dr. Home's 

 ingenious T^reatif'e on the Principles of Agriculture, &c. deferves 

 commendation ; but it is not yet rendered fufficiently practical, to 

 be of general ufe to farmers. The effential differences between the 

 old and new hufbandry, are pointed out and explained in this firfl 

 part. 



The fecond is confined to the culture of wheat, according to the 

 principles of the new hufbandry -, the fuperior advantage of which 

 is proved by a feries of many experiments. 



In the third part, the new hufbandry is applied to the culture of 

 other plants ufeful to the farmer. 



That the defcriptlon of the feveral infLruments ufed in the new 

 hufbandry, might not interrupt the detail of the experiments, thefe 

 defcriptions are given in the fourth part, together with the Plates 

 wherein thofe inflruments are reprefented. 



B AD- 



