LETTER I. 



My Lords and Gentlemen, 



THE prefent age is too enlightened 

 to hold agriculture in contempt 5 

 and has experienced too many advantages 

 refulting from the improvement of land, 

 to liilen with attention to general decla- 

 mations on its importance : an author who 

 treats of a fubjedt of acknowledged utility, 

 that is praclifed with any fpirit, mud pre- 

 fent his Readers with new fa6ts, or endea- 

 vour to elucidate old ones : he muft dwell 

 on particulars; and go, ifpofTible, to the 

 bottom of his fubjedl. 



That the improvement of eflates is a 

 bufinefs of great confequence, none will 

 dif})ute : an hundred writers have proved 

 this, which is much the fame as proving 

 that light is preferable to darknefs, or that 



Vol. II. B a man 



