1799] The Rxral Economiſt. ZL

ently converſant in the arithmetic of Fractions, Vulgar and De- cimal. The whole mode in which mathematical ſcience is at preſent every where taught, deſerves the ſtrongeſt reprobation, as being not adapted to the natural opening of the young mind. But, it 1s impoſſible to enter, here, into the detail of the means of its improvement. y

AII this train of inſtruétion muſt paſs between-the eighth and the twelfth years of our pupil’'s age. His improvement in the practical knowledge of huſbandry, 1s, 1n the mean time, not to be negletted. While he goes to ſchool; let him, if poſlible, live in your own houſe; and in his hours of leiſure, walk out into the fields, and find his amuſements, in things conneéted with the affairs of huſbandry. If he muſt be ſent to a boarding- ſchool; let him, at leaſt, paſs the ſpring and autumn, the ſea- ſons of ſeed-time and harveſt, at home. Employ him, in theſe ſeaſons, in taſks ſuitable to his years and fſteadineſs. Give him occaſional commilſlions of ſuperintendence, and-commit to him from time to time, taſks for perſonal labour ſolely. Let all this employment be direéted only to acquaint him with ſome part of the buſineſs of the huſbandman, which he did not before know; yet. let. ledm to. him as 1 you employed him thus ſolely for the ſervice of your general economy. A

INCONVENIENCE OF A RIGOROUS ADHERENCE To COM- MON-SENSE, 1x AGRICULTURAL SPECULATIONS. The ſprightly viväcity, ſhrewd irony, and judicious diſcernment, in the following ſhort letter, move us to preſent it, with great pleaſure, for the peruſal of our readers, even though its waggifh author have not ſcrupled to make our right-worſhiptul ſelves, in part, the ſubjects of his well-direéted humour, To ihe Editor of the Commercial and Agricultural Magazine. SIR, À aT plan, of taking common-ſenſe as the ground work of your laudable endeavours to improve the agriculture of your country, muſt command a general approbation. Indeed, without this baſis, what ſtruéture, however beautifully formed, or however ſkilfully compadtted, can ſtand long enough to ſerve any truly valuable purpoſe?

But, Mr. Editor, are not you, by this profeſſion, narrowing extremely. your ſphere of aion, and denying yourſelf the almoſt entire uſe of that copious fÎlream called amuſement, from which moſt of your predeceſſors have ſo largely drawn?

Depend upon it, that many of your readers would have no great objection, to be occaſionally amuſed, or even aſtoniſhed, as well as inſtructed and improved. If you had not thus incon- ſiderately reſiri&ted yourſelf, you might have indulged and en- tertained them with a vaſt variety of diſcoveries equally profound with the following. É

You might have taught them(what has already been gravely and authoritatively recommended for trial, and what would