INTRODUCTION.

Tue effays which compofe the prefent volume were written at the requeft of the prefident of the board of agriculture, and were intended, with fome variations, to form a part of the general report propofed to be laid before parliament by that board; but wére withdrawn by the author, and publifhed in their prefent form, from the fol- lowing confiderations. When the fubje€t was

rar et ATM ARs|) Aa x oem xn srf{trn, ye| ER ope Be BS firft mentioned to him, he underftood that it wa

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he intention of the board to have every part of

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that report drawn up by men who had actually

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practifed agriculture as a bufine/s, each indivi- dual being defired to write fach-pat$ of it only as he had had occafion to be particularly acquainted with, in the courfe of his own prattice, leaving the other parts to be drawn up by fuch men as had had more experience in thefe departments. As this plan appeared to be better calculated to obtain authentic pra€tical information in agricul- ture, than any other the author had ever feen; and as he conceived a work of this kind to be much

wanted, he readily agreed to lend every affiftance

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