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requisitions for information from the 
minister, or either house of parliament, 
the board has acted on various occa- 
siens in perfect conformity with the 
theory of its institution; and [ need not 
observe how extremely necessary it is to 
be prepared, with this view, by having 
such well-arranged collections of facts, 
as may at once be applicable to the in- 
quiries which may probably come from 
higher assemblies to this board. 
Another branch of our quiescent du- 
ties, and perhaps not the least important, 
is that of considering the institution as 
an office of intelligence, for the use of 
individuals who desire information’ on 
any subject of rural economy. It is cer- 
tainly the duty of the secretary to give 
at all times, and to all persons, every 
species of information § in his power; to 
make whatever inquiries may be neces- 
sary, with that view; and to introduce 
such persons to each other, as can best 
supply their mutual wants: and it is no 
exaggeration to assert, that this has been 
done to the amount of some thousands 
of cases. 
The institation was hardly established, 
before a severe scarcity afflicted the king- 
dom; and the board, with the utmost 
assiduity, gave an immediate attention’ 
to a subject which naturally drew upon 
it every eye. To answer the immediate 
pressure, many experiments were or- 
dered and executed on the manufac- 
turing of bread from every species of 
grain which could, by various mixtures, 
be made to enter into its composition. 
Fourscore sorts of bread were at once 
exhibited to the eyes of the public; and 
those who recollect ots examination, 
must remember the pleasure very gene- 
rally expressed at the sight of a resource 
which till then had been guite unknown. - 
These experiments were registered and 
printed, and remain for future use. 
But an object of much greater impor- 
tance, also occupied the’ midges of the 
board; this was the cultivation of the 
immense wastes of the kingdom, by a 
general enclosure act. In order to 
ascertain the amount of these deserts, so 
disgraceful to the richest country in the 
world, inquiries, were set on foot in every 
district, and the result produced the 
ehormous amount of more than twenty- 
two millions of acres! The energy and 
vigour with which the president execu- 
ted the wishes of the board, in making’ 
these inquiries, and in framing a bill that 
should remedy so great an evil, merited 
the highest commendation, and deserves 
Proceedings of Learned Societtes. 
[April 35° 
the gratitude of every succeeding age 
though the effert unfortunately was un-- 
successful; and it is lamentable to re- 
fiect, that the obstacles which arose to 
the measure, were aggravated in no 
slight degree by efforts of private in- 
terest. 
The next effort to which I beg leave 
to call your attention, was a successful 
attempt to bring all the weights and 
measures of the kingdom under the sum- 
mary jurisdiction of the magistrate. The 
board received ample information that 
the poor were defrauded in a multitude 
of cases, more especially in villages, by” 
defective weights and measures, without 
there existing sufficient powers for the . 
speedy application of a remedy : it i. 
quested one of its members to bring a! 
bill into parliament to remedy the evil; 
this was done, and it passed into. a law 
which has ever simce been a blessing to 
thousands. 
An act of parliament which had its 
origin in the board, was that which took 
otf a prepusterous duty on the import of 
oil-cakes from America: and another 
legislative measure adopted on the re- 
commendation of the board was, the 
exemption from excise granted to drain- 
ing tiles; an object of no slight import- 
ance, as, without this attention, the tax 
would have operated as a prohibition in 
this branch of the first of all improve- 
ments. 
An object which at a very early 
perjod attracted the attention of the 
board, was the inquiry into the pro- 
priety of annexing land to cottages. Some 
persons entertaining doubts as to the 
general application of this system, the © 
board adopted a measure that was 
founded in prudence, in order to ascer- 
tain how far this system extended, and 
what were its effects in situations re- 
moved from the immediate superinten- 
dance of a few humane landlords. 
board, under the auspices of a noble 
lord, himself the beneficent patronizer ‘< 
of the system on his own extensive 
estates, dispatched a person (Mr. Gour- 
lay) every way qualified for the employs — 
ment, to ascertain all the circumstances 
on the spot: he was directed to proceed 
to Burleigh, and to follow the system 
wherever he found it. This he did 
through an extent of between sevent 
and eighty miles; he saw it under almost 
every variation of circumstance, with no 
other exception than that of soils too 
barren to support a cow. The report 
he made was equally curious and ime — 
po. ome 
The 
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