9!^: THE RURAL SOCRATES. 



cutting, and the employment of wood. The anfwerS 

 ftftoniflied the propolers; and proved the important truth^ 

 ;^hat found rcalbn well directed can never mifs the truth. 

 Profeflor Ulleri, digefled the whole into a body of in- 

 ilruftions, which uere approved even among the Ger- 

 mans, with whom the art of the Forefier has approach- 

 ed the moil towards perfeftion. Among thefe papers, 

 the bcfl was the work of a cooper ; whoie bufinels often 

 led him into the woods. It was fo well drawn up, that 

 it needed no alteration to fit it for the prels ; and the 

 author of it in confeqiiente, was made the diiedlor of a 

 confiderable wood. At the fame time, commiflioners 

 were appointed to take care of the foreils — The prin- 

 ciples upon this fubjed thus becomipg more generally 

 known, the Society was encouraged to proceed far- 

 ther. 



It was now determined to difcnfs every branch of ru- 

 ral economy, in order to arrive at a fyflematic fet of 

 infl:ra£lions for the country ; — and the next topic pro- 

 pofed, regarded the means, of preparing, afTcmbling and 

 multiplytng maiiures^ compoils, t&c. 



This was the more natural, as the pcafantry ^xrc 

 already convinced of the necelfity of attention on this 

 head, according to the maxim prevailing among them, 

 that 7nanure is better than contrivance ; {_M[ft ijl v.her 

 lift ; mieux vaut fum'er qne finefTe \\ and much had 

 been done on this fabjccl, eipecially for the increafe of 

 liqoid manure [mare.] — It was alfo neccfTary to attack 

 the cuilom of turning out beafls into fallows, as alfo 

 into flubble, after harvefl ; a fort of commonage 

 called /-/re*// de parcours ; which diminifhed the quan* 

 tity of dung in the feafon of the year, when it was bell 

 in quantity and kind, and when the fermentation was 

 luoft favored by the heat of the feafon ; and injured a l-^ 

 fo the turn for improvement, by checking the cultiva- 

 tor in the free difpofition of his land. — This ) ew expe- 

 riment was equally liiccefsful with the former ; many 

 fyflematic thinkers were found among the pcafantry. 



