18 



incorporated amateurs as the source from which the per- 

 fection of this favourite object is to be derived ; and I hope 

 to be forgiven by them, for complaining, that notwith- 

 standing their activity and good sense, the most eflectual 

 means have not yet been adopted of attaining their ends. 



Instead of availing themselves of the talents which I 

 know them to possess, and calling forth their own energies; 

 they employ themselves in rousmg those of others, and 

 throw the whole business on a description of persons far 

 worse qualified : they endeavour, by honorary and pecu- 

 niary rewards, to stimulate the practical farmers to make 

 the experiments, and to decide the delicate questions upon 

 which agricultural success depends. 



They call upon indocile and prejudiced persons, who 

 have each of them probably already formed their opinions 

 upon these questions, and whose object will be to establish 

 what they have already decided upon. 



Let agricultural societies rely upon themselves and act 

 for themselves, — I may be told they are tumultuary assem- 

 blages, incapable of acting, and of necessity must employ 

 others ; let them look to another tumultuary assembly, THE 

 House of Commoms, and they a^411 see the great mass of 

 business of a mighty nation, transacted in the most com- 

 plete manner by themselves ; they will see their committees 

 encounter the most intricate and delicate questions, with 

 acuteness and perseverance, and deciding them in the most 

 satisfactory manner. 



The science of agriculture is of immense extent, beyond 

 the powers of any individual, or even any body of men, 

 to make themselves masters of the 2f;AoZe together : it must 

 be divided into departments, before it can be encountered 

 with any hopes of success. 



Let me then suggest to the respectable societies already 

 incorporated, to form each of them committees of arrange- 



