1802.) 
ions, which embellifhed his own habita- 
tion and thofe of his neighbours. He 
himielf fuperintended all thefe labours, 
being anxious to preferve the workmen 
from the-accidents to which they are too 
frequently liable on fuch occafions; and 
the {pot that, before the time of Cretté, 
was a peftilential marfh, is at prefent a 
rich meadow, adorned with groves that 
have already been cut down, and planted 
a-frefh, 
This memorable undertaking on the 
part of a farmer of thofe days, was not 
alone ferviceable in reclaiming the mea- 
dow ; for Cretté found means to employ 
all the fuperfiuous water for the fervice of 
his mill: he accordingly conftruéted two 
floodgates, by means of which the water _ 
could be taken from, or conveyed to, 
either of the ftreams, according to circum- 
ftances. . 
Improvements like thefe could not fail 
at length to produce a eertain degree of 
fenfation throughout the country ; they 
accordingly engaged the attention of the 
principal agents of the old government. 
Such indeed was the reputation of this 
fuccefsful projector, that the adminittra- 
tors of the Abbey of St Denis, after ma- 
ture deliberation, gave orders that the 
works begun by Bradley fhould be render- 
ed capable of greater perfection, by a 
elofe imitation of the methods adopted 
by Cretté. The Intendant of the Genera- 
lity, and feveral artilts, accordingly reprired 
thither; and, from that period, the banks 
of the two rivers were carefully kept up 
every year, fo as to prevent the neigh- 
bouring meadows from being again ren- 
dered marfhy. 
® Cretté de Palluel alfo rendered himfelf 
confpicuous by the numerous plantations 
made by him on his patrimony : his trees 
difcovered afar off, thet Dugay was the 
habitation of an eal:ghtened cultivator ; 
the banks of his rivulets, the neighbour- 
ing roads, the {kirts and corners of the 
diftant fields were all planted in a manner 
analagous to their fituation, and foon 
formed a confiderable and progreffive re- 
venue, 
In the progrefs of his improvements, 
he was often obliged to contend with 
neighbours, who were blindly fervile to 
the old fyftem, relative to the cuftomary 
right to fallows ; he was alfo obliged to 
bear with the pleafan:ries, and even the 
farcafms, of fome of his ignorant ac- 
quaintances, who began to be jealous of 
his innovations, his fuccefs, and his re- 
putation : but he always followed up his 
plans with an unremitting perfeverance, 
MontTuriy Mac,-No. 92. 
Biographical Notice refpecting Pallucl. | 239 
that difconcerted the envious, the ignorant, 
and the malignant. 
When the, Society of Agriculture of 
Paris, which was eftablified in 1768 
by the care of the fame minifter who had 
inftituted the veterinary fchools, refumed 
iis meetings in 1779, under the aufpices 
of Malefherbes, and fome other eftimable 
men attached to the old government 5 
Cretté de Palluel was chofen one of the 
members. This was perhaps the firft 
time he was Jed to perceive, that his la- 
bours might be beneficial by the example 
they held out to others. He was far from 
being indifferent to the honour refulting 
to him from being a member of this fo- 
ciety; for, although he had juftly appre- 
ciated the vanity of fuch titles and dif- 
tinctions as were then conferred by birth 
and court-favour, he was exceedingly flat- 
tered to behold himfelf affociated with 
men, whom the fciences alone had illuf- 
trated—-with Buffon, Tergot, Laroche- 
foucault, Malefherbes, Lavoifier, Bullion, 
and others. 
He perceived with no common degree 
of fatistaction, that the utility of agricul- 
ture was at length recognized, and that 
thofe who praétifed it were beginning to- 
be refpected. He foon became a very im- 
portant member of a fociety where fo few 
were converfant in the praétical part of 
agriculture; but if he himfelf was ufeful 
in this point of view, yet he was greatly 
aftonifhed at the flafhes of light thrown on 
this fubjeét by men who were. mere theo- 
rifts. His opinions were heard with de- 
ference and attention, whenever any point 
of pra&tice was under difcuffion ; and he, 
on his part, was eager to liften, with 
equal modefty and deference, to the fage 
and luminous reflections of Tiltet on the 
difeafes to which corn is fubje&; of C. 
Parmentier, on the arts. of grinding and 
panification; as alfo on the culture of, and 
the various economical ufes to which po- 
tatoes and Indian corn might be applied ; 
of Turgot, on the planting of indigenous 
and exotic trees; of .Bullion, on the 
means of forwarding the vegetation, as 
well as of increafing and perfecting the 
cultivation, of every thing appertaining 
to the kitchen-garden; of Varenne de 
Penile, on the manner of managing 
ponds, breeding fifhcs, and on the compas 
rative ftrength of different woods; of La- 
voilier, on the beft means of fertilifing the 
earth ; of Malefherbes, on the mot advan- 
tageous modes of re-planting and mana- 
ging forefts, as well as on the advantages 
which France might reap from the intro- 
duétion of feveral kinds of exetics, rela» 
Hh tive 
