a Se——S ge ae FN

INTRODUCTION. XIX

party has in view, 1 am im a great meafure unac- quainted. I never faw one of thefe publications except two, which accidentally fell into my hands in September latt, when i paffed through Lon- don. The prefent letter, therefore, muft be con- fidered as having no conneétion with, or refe- rence to thefe publications; and if any thing fhall here occur that fhall tend either to corroborate or oppofe any of thefe writings, it muft be con- -fidered as merely accidental.

Since my own letter above alluded to was written, I have feen two publications by the pre- fident of the board of agriculture, in which the draining of land has been mentioned. The firft is an addrefs to the board of agriculture, dated 14th July, 1795, in which it is taken notice of in thefe words:* The board has fucceeded in it’s firft application fine. tO parliament for a reward on account of di/coveries advantageous to agri- culture,] in behalf of a very deferving individual, « Mr. Jofeph Elkington, who has carried the « art of draining to a perfection hitherto un- « known.’ The fecond is an‘addrefs to the board of agriculture, on the cultivation and im- provement of wafte lands of Great Britain by the prefident, printed 23d December, 1795, in

thefe words:“ A confiderable proportion of the