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Observations upon the Agriculture and Roads of the new 

 Settlements in Pennsylvania^ with Hints for Improve- 

 ment, by Mr, John Lorain, 



Read November 10, 1812. 



Fhilipsburgy June 28, 1812. 



Dear Sir^ 



In passing westwardly from Philadelphia to this 

 place, I observed with peculiar pleasure, that much 

 attention had been given to grass and red clover, in the 

 older settlements ; and that notwithstanding a very 

 imperfect system of husbandry almost universally pre- 

 vailed, yet great improvement had been effected, and 

 the crops were generally promising, and in many in- 

 stances very luxuriant : and there can be but little 

 doubt, that the agriculture of Pennsylvania must flour- 

 ish to a very great extent, even if no further improve- 

 ment should take place in the general mode of manage- 

 ment ; for it is very obvious, that as population pro- 

 gresses toward the more recent settlements, an atten- 

 tion to the multiplication of artificial grasses, gradually 

 spreads, and a practice so obviously advantageous, 

 cannot fail of ultimately becoming general throughout 

 the state : and if Agricultural Societies should cease, 

 and enlightened cultivators forbear writing on that 

 subject, still, the industrious and economical farmers of 

 this state must be very opulent ; yet if they pursued a 

 better mode of management, improvement and wealth 

 would progress with much greater rapidity, without 



