15$ ?HE PRACTICE t>P THE 



" I with," fjys Sir Digby in his firft letter^ 

 ** it were in my power to determine precifely 

 < the moft profitable method of culture: but 

 " fince feveral years experience, and the moft 

 ** careful obfervations I have been abfe to 

 ** make, have not been fufficient to clear up 

 * my own doubts, 1 (hall not prefume to die- 

 " tate to others, or to fpeak very pofitively 

 ** on fo nice a fubjecl:* I would reject the 

 4 * moft plaufible theory, if unconfirmed by 

 * experiments. And even experiments them- 

 * felves, if they are not executed with care, 

 ** often varied in different foils, (ituations, 

 * and circumftances, and repeated feveral 

 c years, are too apt to miflead. It is both a 

 " very important and difficult talk, which 

 ** the advocates for the New Hufbandry have 

 4< undertaken, to overthrow entirely the old 

 ** fyftem of fallowing and dung ; nay, even 

 " the more modern introduction of turnips 

 " and clover (a fyftem which the induftrious 

 *' farmer has long found abundantly fuffi- 

 * cient, if not to acquire riches, at leaft to 

 *' enable him to maintain his family) ; in 

 * order to introduce trie more fafhionable 

 ' fcheme of pulverization ; aflerting confi- 

 detitly, that nothing more is neceflary, in 

 * order to create an immenfe and lafting fer- 

 tility, in almoft every foil, than thorough- 

 * ly to break and divide the earth. But the 

 ** aflertors of a new doctrine are apt to be too 

 ** fanguine. Let Us beware of being impofed 



** upon 



