AGRICULTURE OF THE NETHERLANDS. 



129 



The above letter^ emanating from such an authority as the 

 contemporary of the Duke of Bedford, Lord Leicester, Lord 

 Spencer, Lord Western, Sir John Sinclair, &c. (lovers of their 

 country and patrons of agriculture), must be regarded as a 

 most confirmatory testimonial in favour of this volume. Deep 

 indeed must be the prejudice that such proofs cannot reach ; 

 and shallow the pretext for delay on account of fancied trouble. 



Struck with my representations before the Council of the 

 Royal Agricultural Society in 1844, and ever on the alert to 

 advance the interests of agriculture. Sir Charles interrogated 

 me upon several points ; and speedily after tested their accu- 

 racy in boxes added to his own premises. Nor was he less 

 prompt in promulgating the result of his experience ; observing 

 in one of his early communications, that " if further proof were 

 desirable, it is afforded by the intended increase, early in the 

 spring, of the number of my cattle-boxes." 



Subsequently the Hon. Baronet invited, through the press, 

 all agricultural inquirers to an inspection of his premises at 

 West Grinstead ; and forwarded a paper on the subject of box- 

 feeding, &c. for insertion in the Journal of the Royal Agricul- 

 tural Society, which was rejected as hyperbolical. The merits 

 of the question, however, remain unaffected ; and we find Sir 

 Charles Burrell still the uncompromising supporter of a cause 

 destined to confer inestimable benefits upon agriculture and 

 upon his country. 



Suggestions on Fattening Cattle with Native instead of Foreign 



Produce. 



The Agriculture of the Netherlands is said greatly to excel 

 that of England or of any part of the world. Copious details 

 of those peculiar modes which rendered the husbandry of that 

 country so eminently superior to ours, are published in ' The 

 Royal Agricultural Society's Journal,' in ' The Farmers' 

 Magazine' for June, 1840, and * Farmers' Series of the Library 

 of Useful Knowledge,' under the head, ' Outlines of Flemish 

 Husbandry.' These works were written during a tour made 

 by the authors through East and West Flanders ; and as 

 reference is given to particular farms, their accuracy cannot 



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