312 Common-Senſe inconvenient to Agriculture!![Dec.

ficike with peculiar force at this time) an infallible method of avoiding all the toil, all the anxiety, and alk the expence of making bay in a wet ſummer, which is ſimply efedted thus: by ſuffering the graäſs-crop to remain untouched till winter, when it is to be eaten upon the land with inconceivable advantage, whatever the weather may be.

Having thus flattered and ſoothed the natural indolence and im- providence of man, in one inßance, you might have proceeded to propoſe to him a compendious way of ſecuring lis clover crop likewiſe, by ordering him to bind up the green clover, as ſoon as it is cut, in ſheaves(in the manner recommended in one of the agricultural ſurveys) which ſheaves are to remain placed on the end till they are perfely dry, and, if poſſible, ſweet.

As it ſeems, at this time, to be the order of thie day, to refine, at all events, the quality ol the ſtaple commodity of this iſland; and as the praical, obſtinate, common-ſenſe’ farmer 1s inceſ- ſantly told that the coat of a ſheep 1s of more conſequence than his carcaſe, and that a ſheep which will produce a fine fleece worth half-a-crown, will be more profitable ſtock to him than one that will afford ſeven ſhillings worth of long wool; this would have becn a moſt favourable opportunity for you to have entorced what your predece/ſlors have aſſerted, that every ſheep in the kingdom ought to wear a cloke, or at leaſt a ſpencer, to ſave his coat. LZ

You might hare told the agricultural world, that the beſt me- thod to avoid the ravages of the fiy amongſt their turnips(which diſcovery has been valued at three thouſand pounds) was to ſend men, horſes, and a heavy roller, to kill ſnails by moonſhine.

You might have toldthe ſame perſons, that dung 1s never to be thrown upon plowed-land in autumn,“ leſt it ſhould ope- rate as a ſponge, and Rarve the land:” and that to cleanſe land, or to give it TEIL DIA ſummer fallow, 1s abſolutely“ lnatus valde deflendus.” i

You might have introduced that inexbauſtible ſubje&, the dritl-huſbandry, with all its concomitants, hand and horſe hoes, ſcarifiers, and ſcuffers.

You might have ſhewn the tranſcendent excellence of 1n- verted order, by exlubitu1g a plough drawn by a man, and a hoe worked by horles. But 1 feel, Mr. Editor, that I am upon pe- rilons ground, and mußt moderate my feps, leſt I ſhould by chance run my‘bead againſt and overturn your favourite reaping- machine, and ſhould diſcover to the ſpeétators, that it does not reſt; on all fours, on the baſis óf common ſenſe. For every man knows, that not only at preſent, but at all times, we ſtand more in need of clean than expeditious reaping.;

With ſuch entertainment as the above, you might have filled many of your pages, and have done no leſs ſervice to your coun- try than your ſapient correſpondent, who bas diſcovered that « water is the only food of plants.”’—I am, Sir, your's,

Dec. 20, 1799. PRACTICUS,