INTRODUCTION. Vli 



has paid all possible attention to it for a number of years, 

 employed many of his vacant hours in perusing what has been 

 published by the best writers, and in making useful experi- 

 ments in husbandry. He flatters himself, therefore, that he 

 shall not have the unhappiness of grossly misleading any of 

 the most ignorant of his readers. Many things are written from 

 his own experience, and from that of others in this country, 

 on whose veracity in their communications he can rely. 

 Things which are not certainly known are mentioned only as 

 opinion or conjecture. Extracts are made from some of the 

 best authors, and marked as such. He has not wilfully assert- 

 ed any thing which he does not know to be fact. And though 

 he has adopted the ideas of others, he has not passed any 

 thmg on the publick as his own, which has been published by 

 others, unless it be through inattention or mistake. Whether 

 the reasonings be just, every intelligent reader must judge and 

 determine ; and to the candour of such the whole is submit- 

 ted. 



Long and particular accounts of experiments, such as abound 

 in many European publications, are generally omitted, lest 

 they should take up too much room, in a book that is meant 

 to be comprehensive, and cheap to the purchaser, at the same 

 time that it is designed to contain a whole system of husban- 

 dry. Neither would the intention of comprehending much in 

 a little room permit the pages to be filled with lengthy bills of 

 the cost of culture, and computations of profit, which many 

 writers have too much run into ; and in which any writer in this 

 country, where the price of labour is variable, would be in dan- 

 ger of deceiving both himself and his readers. Our farmers 

 have a sufficient knowledge of arithmetick to do these things 

 for themselves ; rtnd it would not be amiss for them to amuse 

 themselves in this way, in some of their moments of leisure. 



That the writer has been excited to treat on the present sub- 

 ject by a tender concern for the welfare of his country, more 

 than by any selfish and sinister view, those who are best ac- 

 quainted with him are sufiiciently convinced. At the same 

 time, he will not pretend to deny his feeling of an ambition to 

 be one of the first of his nation, who has thus endeavoured to 

 lighten the labours, and promote the happiness of his country- 

 men. Yet he most sincerely wishes, that other writers on the 

 subject may soon carry the system nearer to perfection, as they 

 undoubtedly will. But the disadvantages he is under by being 

 so early, and having an unbeaten way to explore, will doubt- 

 less apologize for him with all who are candid and considerate, 

 and partly atone for his errors and imperfections, from which 

 it would be strange if he were wholly free. 



