TO

SIR JOHN SINCLAIR, BART.

PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

DEAR SIRy

1 HAVE at length ventured to give you an account of the huſbandry of the ſmall diſtrict that you aſigned me. At your requeſt I cheerfully undertook the Survey of the County of Clackmannan, as I thought that I could eafily ſpare time from my pri- vate affairs to deſcribe thoſe things which I was daily obſerving. I was not, however, aware of the extent and diſiiculty of the undertaking, when I conſented to include in my Report, a few details concerning ſome of the adjacent pariſhes, and parts of the country, which I had but little opportunity of ſeeing, and in which I am not ac- quainted with many of the farmers, and ſo could have but ſmall knowledge of their prattice of agriculture, and ſtill leſs of their opinions, and object in other branches of huſbandry.

I wiſhed, at one time, to deſcribe every thing of conſequence relative to our man- ner of managing eſtates and farms in this corner: but I ſoon found, that MY pri- vate affairs, and numerous, but unavoidable avocations, ſo often interrupted me, in the courſe of my writing down the reſult of the communications I had procured from the ſeveral pariſhes, or the thoughts that naturally occurred to myſelf on this im- portant fubjeet, as to make this impoſſible. I have even been frequently diſpoſed to throw aſide my papers, and to requeſt of you, to employ ſome perſon, poſſeffed of more knowledge and leiſure, to draw up the account; but you prefled me ſo ar- dently, from time to time, to give ſuch information as I had received, that I con- fented to proceed in my attempt. Thinking me dilatory, you over-perſuaded me to print the ürſt part of the Report, before I had drawn up one half of it; which circumſtance, I am afraid, has occaſioned many repetitions, and made it far more diffuſe than otherwiſe it would have been; ſo that I cannot but regret that.I com-

K plied,