PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. i

Next to colle&ing information, the improvement of a country muſt depend upon rouſing a proper ſpirit of exertion, in order that the information thus accumulated may be put into adion. By the happy conſtitution of this country, and the wiſdom of its laws, property is better ſecured here than perhaps in any other ſtate that ever exiſted, which undoubtedly is a great ſpur to exertion. But the legiſlature ſeems to have truſted too much to the beneficial effdQs of that ſecurity, and to think that no other encouragement or ſpur could be neceflary, Fortunately, however, a new ſyſtem has commenced. Parliament has al- ready begun to vote ſome aid for the improvement of huſ- bandry. The legiſlature has at laſt taken the plough and the ſpade under its immediate protection 5 and thoſe who make any uſeful diſcovery likely to be of ſervice to Agriculture, have now every reaſon to expedt attention to their claims, and that encouragement which their diſcoveries may be found to

[=] merit.

As ſome of the principal improvements which Mr. Elkington, the celebrated drainer, to whom Parliament has lately granted 1000 /. were made in Lancaſhire, it was natural to allude to that circumſtance, when the Report of that county came under conſideration!

Where both ſkill in agriculture, and a ſpirit of improve= ment, exiſt, there can be but one thing wanting, namely, capital.‘There is little riſk, however, of any deficiency of that nature in theſe kingdoms, unleſs cur capital ſhould be diverted from its natural means of employment, domeftic im- provement, to remote ánd foreign ſpeculations. The beſt mode ef preventing ſuch a deviation ſeems to be, to mañe the

kingdom

M

ra LEE:

R e

ang r0c dE È STAA IT- JO rr IRS