FRANCE. 133 



in order for any writer to convey ufeful in- 

 telligence to the public on thefe matters, 

 mud either give fuch as is frem, or he can- 

 not give that which is of confequence. A 

 circumflance which certainly is not fuffi- 

 ciently confidered, as plainly appears, by . 

 abundance of publications I have feen at 

 London, which defcribe France very faithfully 

 as fhe was about an hundred years ago, but 

 mighty little to the purpofe atprefent. This 

 is an error I have all along endeavoured to 

 avoid, and have every where rather omitted 

 to give information at all, than to deal in fuch 

 as is no longer new, or valuable. 



My defire of making myfelf acquainted 

 with agriculture brought me into the com- 

 pany, foon after I arrived at Paris, of three 

 men, who were very able to give me good 

 intelligence. Thefe were, the Marquis de 

 Micftlioau, known over all France, and in 

 many other parts, from being the author of 

 L' Ami des HMMMW; M. du Pont, the 

 well-known author of the Epbemerides du 

 Citoyen -, and M. de Palern, fecretary to 

 the Society-Royal of Agriculture at Paris. 

 With thefe, and fome other gentlemen 

 highly interefted in agriculture, 1 had many 

 K 3 convcrfa- 



