PREFACE. 



Til 



As M. Duhamel's five volumes were publi/lied in different yeais, 

 he could not give o.n uninterrupted account of each experiment, from 

 its beginning ; efpecially as they were made by different perfons, and 

 in different places : nor could he well avoid frequently repeating, or, 

 at leaft, refuming, the heads of what had been faid before ; by 

 which means their progrefs towards perfeftion is not i'o obvious to 

 the reader, as the writer of this work hopes they will appear, when 

 ranged in the more methodical order he has endeavoured to give 

 them. Another reafon which has induced him to give each different 

 experiment from its very beginning. Is, that he might (hew the dif- 

 ficulties which occurred at firff, and how they were afterwards gOL 

 over. He has tranflated onlyfuch experiments as- feemed to him to 

 carry with them a variety which may be inftrui^live to his country- 

 men : and to render this work the more ufeful, he has given what 

 appeared to him befh In the modern practice of farming, either ac- 

 cording to the old or new method. The plainnefs wherewith it Is 

 written, will fliew, that his intention was to make it of as general 

 life as poffible. 



Every one who contributes to the public good, deferves applaufe j 

 and confequently it Is due to all M. Duhamel's correfpondents. But 

 the obligations of the public, to the two gentlemen to whom we 

 are Indebted for moil of the following experiments, are ftlll In- 

 creafed, when we confider the unwearied diligence with which they 

 purfued a fubjedl of fo different a nature from that of their re- 

 fpedlive employments. The pofl: of Infpedlor-general of the Marine 

 of France, would, alone, have given fufficlent exerclfe to a genius 

 lefs adtlve than M. Duhamel's, and not allowed opportunity for his 

 ffeady and fuccefsful application to this and every other branch of 

 natural philofophy. "Tis true, the neceffary attendance on the dlf- 

 charge of his more immediate bufinefs, prevented him from purfu- 

 ing his experiments In Agriculture, fo far as he doubtlefs would 

 otherwife have done, and from making them In that number and 

 variety which the fubjedl required : but we owe to his efforts and 

 example, the zeal with which others have been animated In their 

 experiments : and, above all, we are indebted to him for the excel- 

 lent inflruclions we have received from M. de Chateau-vieux, who, 

 even whilfl he held the firft Office In the City and Republic of 

 Geneva, found time to apply himfelf with furprizing attention to 



this 



