IV ÄBVERTISEMENT.,

with men éf ſciencé, through fuch a channel,—4 correipondence would make every contributor ts it, at once, a zoe accurate obſerver of the fas paſling before him, in his own pecüliar province, a toſer and clearer reajoner, and a mbre correâ and perſpicuous writer- We did not epxefét that the firſt letterè would be models of eloquence; we did not ſuppoſe that the fas communicated, alt, detailed with Philofophical preciſion; we did not, with all our reſpe@ for the claſſes of praétical men to whöm we addreſſed ourſelves, believe that they had not many prejudices and erroës to be expoſed, than principles to téach; baut, we looked to the greac utility of the cor- reſpondence alone; believing, that prejudices to be exploded, need only to be clearly expoſed; and that praéical truth, to be adopted, wancts only to be, in évery proper point of View, duely ſeen. Be- fides, it were impoſible, upon any other mode of. regulating the correſpondence, than that which we have followed, to exhibit ſo ¡rue a piâure of the ſtate of popular prejudice, knowledge, and Pradice, in the concerns of Agriculture, Trade, ind Manufadures; and, whether for their improvement, fot the preſent gratification of à curioſity which, originating in philöſophy, in patriotiſm, and in found common fſnfſe, cannot but be highly reſpedable, or for the fake of giving to future times, an information of the nature of that which we delight the moſt to receive, in regard to the paſt; ſuch 2 pi&ure cannot but be more truely valuable than whatever could be introduced, to ſupply its place in ſuch a publication as this. A Lawyer, to do juſtice to the management of a cauſe, muſt hear his client tell his tale in hisown way; and it wil, in the ſame manner, be impofible ſor thoſe who, as philoſophers, fRudy the ſcientific improvement of the€écoñomy of Trade, of Huſbandry, or of the Uſeful Arts, to require the knowledge of the neceſſary fa@s without hearing and fudying the narratives of the praâtitioners themſelves, however imperfe& thoſe narratives may always in certain reſpeâs be.

"There are others who wHl, on the contrary, complain; that there 1s much of our matter which evidently does not proceed from Far- mers, Merchants, or Huſbandmen. To ſuch, we would reply, in the words uſed by the eloquent B1su0r SPRATT, in his Hiſtory of We Royal Society; that“ men who are not converſant about any one ſort of arts, may often find out their rarities and curioſities, ſooner than thoſe who have their minds confined wholly to them. The admirable art of compoſing letters, was ſo far from being ſtarted by a man of learning, that it was the device of a Soldier: and Powder(to make recompence) was invented by a Monk, The ancient Tyrian purple, was brought to light by a Fiſher, The

ſcarlet of the moderns, was the produdtion of a Chymiſt, and not of

8.Dyer.” We would add with the ſame writer; that,“ it is ſome- times better, to endure zvanzities, than, out of too much Ricene(s, to loſe any invention.”

We have only farther to exp efs our thanks for the public patron- age with which we have been honoured,—our bopes that with the return of Peace, that patronzge may become more conſiderable to a Work which is devoted to promote only the beſt Arts of Peace—and our reſolution by every poiſible means, to render this Work conti- nually leſs and leſs unworthy of che public favour.

December 3Itb, 1801. ES