MR. gage's address. 17 



sterling ; while the surface in the former country, un- 

 der cultivation, was less than half that of the latter ; 

 and this, while the advantage, in point of soil and cli- 

 mate, is acknowledged to be on the side of France. 

 This fact speaks volumes in favor of individual and 

 associated effort for improvement. 



The quality of productions and stock has been 

 much improved by skill and care. ' It is probable,' 

 says Sir Joseph Banks, ' that wheat did not bring its 

 seed to perfection in England, till hardened to it by 

 repeated sowings.' We are told too, that, by atten- 

 tion, the crab apple has been converted into the gold- 

 en pippin. And the pear, probably a native of the 

 South of Europe, has been naturalized in Britain. 

 That the quality of the fruit is much affected by the 

 quality of the seed, is a well-known fact, which, were 

 all farmers to practice upon it, in their husbandry, 

 would abundantly repay them for all their trouble. 



In England, such pains have been taken, by en- 

 lightened public spirited individuals, in improving 

 their stock of cattle, that since 1750, we are told the 

 weight of cattle and sheep has a good deal more than 

 doubled.* The prices at which cattle have been 

 recently sold near Philadelphia, as well as the speci- 

 mens offered at this day's exhibition, shew that simi- 

 lar improvements, in this respect, are in progress in 

 our own country. 



Improvements in the modes of cultivation have 

 been already very great. The grand improvement 

 in modern agriculture in Great Britain, the introduc- 



* Edinburgh Review. 



3 



