( w ) 



this work, I was greatly encouraged to perfe- 

 vere in my improvements, by the attention 

 fhewn me by Sir John Sinclair, Bart. Prefident 

 of the Board of Agriculture. That very ufeful 

 and intelligent man, Mr, Robert Brown of 

 Murkle in Scotland, had come to take a view of 

 the agriculture of the weft riding of Yorkfhire. 

 To him I got introduced ; and he, conceiving 

 a favourable opinion of my knowledge of rural 

 economy, recommended me to Sir John, who 

 foon after did me the honour of calling upon 

 me. Sir John was fo good as to fend me fome 

 reports of the ftate of agriculture in the Lo- 

 thians, &c. and fome other inftru&ive publi- 

 cations ; the perufal of which raifed my ideas, 

 and excited my curiofity fo much, that I was 

 not fatisfied until I examined the modes of 

 farming practifed there and in other parts of 

 England and Scotland. — The refult of my ob- 

 fervations, and of my own experiments, I have 

 detailed in the following Treatife. 



I now muft make an apology to the reader 

 for having dwelt fo long upon myfelf and my 

 own concerns, which I truft his candour will 

 not impute to egotifm — I defpife the character 

 of an egotift : I only wifhed to point out the 



fources 



