126 



ON DRAUGHT OXEN. 



but the dale pretence of the rafcally monopo- 

 lizing farmers ; and there is fcarcely a Cheap- 

 fide cuhivator, but has ridden over I know not 

 how many counties, and with his own eyes 

 beheld the greateft bulk and fuperabundance. 

 To fuch a pitch of madnefs are mankind to 

 be led by their prejudices, that it is at this in- 

 ftant afferted, and firmly beheved by great 

 numbers, that independently of the prefent crop 

 on the ground, there is now flacked and ware- 

 houfed in England, wheat fufficient for three 

 years confumption ! It may not be amifs to 

 caution thofe gentlemen, who have a chief 

 hand in furnilhing newfpaper paragraphs on 

 the fubjeft, that it too frequently happens in 

 thofe feafons when the ftraw is fo fuperabun- 

 dant, that the corn is deficient in proportion ; 

 and fo hable are even the moft experienced 

 p^rfons to mifcalculation and deception in 

 ihefe cafes, that I have aftually known a field 

 of {landing wheat, ready to cut, adjudged by 

 neighbouring farmers, fome of whom had lived 

 near the fpot forty years, to contain a load 

 upon an acre round, which did not, when 

 threfhed out, produce three quarters per acre. 

 Even Mr. Young himfelf, whole experience, 

 without any idea of compliment, muft be 

 greater than that of any other man, has been 

 led into fimilar miftakes, as may be feen by 

 his writings. In the fad cafe of an unfavour- 

 able 



