INTRODUCTION 



AND 



PLAN OF THE WORK. 



AGRICULTURE, or " The art of improving and cul- 

 " tivating the Soil," had remained for ages in a most 

 imperfect state, and though necessarily practised, in a 

 greater or less degree, by the most enlightened, as well 

 as the most barbarous nations, never, till of late, had 

 made any material progress towards perfection. Those 

 who followed it as their occupation, generally pursued 

 the customs of their forefathers, without inquiring into 

 the circumstances which either led to their adoption, 

 or justified an adherence to them ; while such indivi- 

 duals as endeavoured to explain the principles of the 

 art, were rarely acquainted with its minutiae, and sel- 

 dom had the advantages of experience. From the great 

 increase of knowledge however, which has of late years 

 been acquired, agriculture has made a most rapid pro- 

 gress in improvement. It is now established on regu- 

 lar and rational principles, and from being an art me- 

 chanically practised, it has been elevated to the dignity 

 of a science ; and hence the era has at last fortunately 

 arrived, when it has become practicable to undertake, 

 with every prospect of success, the arduous task of draw- 

 ing up " A Digest" or " Code of Agriculture" 



Before the present period, such an undertaking could 

 not have been attempted with any well-founded prospect 

 of success. For so many able and well-informed indi- 

 viduals had never, at any former era, directed their at- 

 tention to agricultural pursuits ; so much capital had 

 never previously been employed in the cultivation of the 

 soil ; so many practical farmers had never before pu- 

 blished the result of their experience in the art of hus- 



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