Sect. I. Agriculture and Vegetation. 'r 



the latter fcience, its principles can never 

 be fettled. As this fcience is but of late 

 invention, and has not yet been cultivated 

 with that regard to utility, and the im- 

 provement of trades and manufactures, as 

 it ought and might, agriculture is hardly 

 feniible of its dependence on it. The de- 

 fign of the following flieets is to make this 

 appear ; and to try how far chymiftry 

 will go in fettling the principles of agricul- 

 ture. 



I don't intend in the following remarks 

 to fettle fads, or teach the practical part of 

 farming. That I leave to farmers. My 

 defign is only to fketch out the great out- 

 lines of this art, and fhow, that it is ca- 

 pable of being reduced, like others, to a 

 regular fyftem. If in this way we can fix 

 fome fettled principles from the facts which 

 are already afcertained, thofe who apply to 

 practice will find their benefit in it. The 

 juft theory of an art leads directly to its im- 

 provement, as it leads to thofe experiments 

 B 3 which 



