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And now, Mr. Y. obferves, that the experiments of Monf. Du Hamel and his correfpondents have been so much praised, that fome may imagine they preclude fresh experiments.'-He will therefore give them a little attention, and juflly praises them, as being generally concife,' (and we may pronounce concifenefs to be a great excellence, when joined to fufficiency,) admirably expreffed, and with great attention to most concurrent circumftances,' yet adds, with truth, that fome circumftances of high importance are omitted in them.

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In fupport of this conclufive obfervation, Mr. Y. mentions one grofs omiffion in thofe experiments, which must have struck every attentive reader, yet cannot be too often noticed, viz. that

expences of the new hufbandry are totally omitted;' and without this circumftance, an experiment is in many cases useless.' He notes, that he will engage to raise vaft crops of corn in the worst fields (p. 12.), and judiciously proceeds to remark, that Monf. De Chateau Vieux's comparative experiments between the old and new husbandry frequently extend no farther than one or two crops on the fame land: and that he calculates crops for many years, on the data of that ift, or 2d.

He also rightly adds the fuperiority of the new method to the old bufbandry of Geneva, with alternate fallows, is a fmall recommendation of it, as that [old husbandry] is a very imperfect one; and that in England the cafe is widely different, fo that no comparifon can be decifive, unless conducted for feveral years, and an exact regifter kept.'

Mr. Y. fupports his very useful general remark by an instance of Mr. De Chateau Vieux's calculating from a crop of 1752, that the crop of 1753 will be equal; nay, fuggefting that there is no doubt but it will be greater. He exclaims justly against fuppofitions artfully interwoven with fa&s; and then drawing from thence many conclufions and maxims.

He very handsomely acknowledges, that the well-being of mankind was the only view of Mr. De Chateau Vieux, but obferves, that as his experiments are published for universal benefit, it is highly neceffary, efpecially in foreign countries, to examine closely whether the new practice promifes advantage fuperior to the old, which it is intended to fubvert;' and thefe experiments being tranflated into English, and ftrongly recommended to our farmers, he asks, Geneva and England hold good? he) muft their old husbandry be, more than three times the feed.'

Will the comparison betwixt How miferably defective (cries to produce, on a medium, not

He concludes, that after a moft attentive examination of hefe experiments, he could not determine whether, on given nd, the drili husbandry deserved to be adopted.

Thus

Thus he clears himself from the imputation of temerity, in publishing 's fe of experiments, as in fome inftances better adapted to the practice of Bitifh cultivators,' and proteffes to pretend to qual Mamel and his correfpondents in no thing but fincerity..

Mr. Y. acknowledges (in the fainable phrafe) that the whole range of œconomic writings does not prefent a more valuable morfel than the history of Turbilly's improvements,' and adds, that the general œconomy of a farm is fo much concerned in them, that the want of registered experiments is comparatively but little felt.'

But is not the fame apology admiffible, in certain degrees at leaft, for other writers to whom the fame indulgence is not fhewn? We would not be thought to reckon the Marquis of Turbilly among the black kind; otherwife we should repeat the fatyrift's adage, Dat veniam corvis, &c.

Mr, Y. acknowledges the uncommon pleasure which he received from perufing, in the Encyclopedie of Meffrs Le Roy and Quefney the fon, the articles Fermier, Froment, Culture, and Grain. He avows their giving accurate defcriptions of several practices, and obfervations on them, drawn from reafon; and on this plan thinks these articles most excellently executed, with great penetration.

He praifes, as of the fame nature, M. Patullo's. Effai fur P Amelioration des Terres (12mo, 1758), which has numerous re flections of a practical kind, and includes an elegant idea of a newly-inclofed farm, with calculation of expences, produces, and profit, for a term of years, with confiderable precision.

We mean not to decry this work, but muft obferve, that. here, if any where, plans fhould go on experiments, as calcula-. tions without proof of experience, are most fallacious in building, inclofing, &c.

But our Author condemns the works of Mr. Le Large, viz. Memoires fur l' Agriculture' (12mo, 1752), and Monf. Sarcey de Sutieres, viz. Agriculture Experimentale (12m0, 1764), as. pretending to experiments (the latter of twenty years) without the merit of good reafoning or reflections.

We think, with Mr. Y. that fuch a deficiency is a very great one, but ftill the experiments remain to reafon upon; unless Mr. Y. means that thefe gentlemen only pretend to, but have or give no experiments.

He praises the Memoires et Obfervations of the Berne society, as abounding with a great variety of knowledge truely useful; but thinks the effays profeffing to be experimental, lefs fatisfactory,

The good eating of the French has introduced this fashionable phrafe into literary matters. Indeed the bon goat has long been familiar.

as, blended too much with reasonings, reflections, and inftruc

tions.

We cannot agree with Mr. Y. in this cenfure, as it seems a contradiction to what we have agreed with him in, on the last named writers, if the reafonings &c. be good.

He notes, that feveral of these writers have a proper idea of [the neceffity of] inferting their expences (p. 14, 15.) but la ments that experimental effays bear no proportion to the argumentative; and applies this remark to the agricultural part of the Memoirs of Britanny. But, before his readers join with him, they will wish to make an estimate of the refpective merits of two kinds of writing, both very useful.-He confeffes, that he could not procure the Memoirs of Rouen, and fome other cities of France. A fact at which we wonder much.

Dr. Home's Treatife of the Principles of Agriculture and Vegetation, is justly praised by Mr. Y. as affording fpecimens of pure and truly philofophic experiments; and he declares, that if the Doctor had attended to a larger courfe of experiments, he would have prevented the publication of Mr. Y's imperfect sketch. Such confeffions as this, may deprecate the feverity of judges; but we must note, that two bulky volumes in 4to are usually expected to give more than an imperfect sketch.

Dr. Home's omiffion of expences is indeed (as Mr. Y. notes) a great defect.

Our Author laments that he cannot speak of Mr. Dickson's Treatife of Agriculture (8vo, 2d edit. 1765), in the fame terms of respect; regreting, that he kept no regifter of his business and experiments on a confiderable farm for many years; and fays, Experience is an admirable foundation for any kind of firucture; but in agriculture fhe must be the fuperftructure itself, not the foun dation only. We can fcarcely allow this diftinction, as every fuperior stone &c. in every building, is a superstructure to the infe

rior.

Mr. Y. makes the fame objection to Mr. Randal's elaborate Treatife, and notes, that Mr. Randal's fallow year is fo prodi giously expenfive, that his readers must necessarily desire to see how it anfwered with himself, before they venture to adopt it. Had he given a number of acres on which he tried his method, ftating every operation, and the actual expence, with the produce and profit, &c. for a term of years, fuch a fingle experiment would have more weight with the world, than a volume of reasoning from experience.

Mr. Y. refides, indeed, at a great distance from the seat of Mr. Randal's femi-virgilian husbandry; but as he has lately made the northern tour, we should have thought that he might have eafily learned how to reconcile the feemingly difcordant truths,

viz. that Randal's method is prodigiously expenfive, and prodigious beneficial to him.

Mr. Y. justly celebrates Mr. Stillingfleet's Mifcellaneous Tracts relating to Natural Hiftory, as deferving to be universally read. He congratulates Ireland on the registers of Mr. Wynn [not Whynn] Baker, and praises Mr. Billing's Treatife on the Culture of Carrots, as a very precious performance, truly experimental, &c.; but justly condemns Rocque's piece on Lucerne, &c. as wild, improbable, inaccurate, and totally inconclufive. He concludes his Review of agricultural writers, with a juft confeffion, that Mr. Harte's Effays on Husbandry' (8vo, 1755), are much fuperior to any eulogium, &c.

• The perufal (Mr. Y. fays) of these books, led him to conclude the fubject of them [Agriculture] by no means exhausted, and that he might add to their number, without the imputation of attempting to improve perfection:

"Extremi primorum, extremis ufque priores *"

He declares, I fubmit with deference to their [the Public's] decifion; but, confcious of numerous imperfections, I feel with anxiety the rafonefs of parting with a MS. on which I wished to ftamp a merit it is far from poffeffing.'

He adds, that the experimental part of this work cost him, exclufive of products, nearly 1200l. This affertion will not appear improbable to the Reader, when he is affured, that Mr. Y. had the refolution to try every thing, even the experiments, which he was fenfible could not anfwer. On fuch a plan who can wonder at any loffes +? Well may he difcourage all perfons from following his example, of quitting the prudent path. There may have been ages (fays he) in which patriotifm was as fubftantial a good as food or raiment; but the prefent I take to be fomewhat dif ferent.

This is certainly no fit place to difcufs the profit of patriotism in our days. We apprehend, however, that the public will hardly allow, that the expence of making experiments, which the maker is fenfible cannot poffibly answer,' is a proof of patriotifin.

There are nevertheless methods of turning a man's loffes to good account; and an experiment which turned out lofs, may, by being held out to the public as a warning, be converted to folid profit, and the loft gold, by a certain chemistry, rise in the species of food and raiment.

"Extremus primorum, extremis ufque prior fis!" fays the exhortation of the fatyrift.

+ This conduct, however, is agreeable enough to a maxim with which he begins his preface, viz. that in agriculture it is fomewhat neceffary to a before we think (p. 1.), an axiom which, for the honour of agriculture, we cannot admit.

In the mean time, we must applaud Mr. Y's determination to leave expenfive experiments to the nobility and gentry of large fortunes,' and to avoid the prefumption of attempting a private execution of public ideas.'

[To be continued in our next.]

C.

ART. XI. A Letter to the Authors of the Monthly Review; occa fioned by their Remarks on two Pamphlets lately published; one entitled, Thoughts on feveral interefting Subjects; viz. On the Exportation of, and Bounty upon Čorn: On the high Price of Provifions: On Manufactures, Commerce, &c*. The other, A Defence of the above Pamphlet. Being a Reply to the Appendix annexed to The Expediency of a Free Exportation of Corn at this Time. In which the Mifrepresentations, false Reasoning, and wilful Deceit of the Author, aré fully expofed and refuted t. By Mr. Wimpey. 8vo. 6 d. Crowder.

WE

E are at prefent much in the fame fituation with those who are faid to have pulled an old house about their ears; having expofed ourselves to a challenge for offering a flight hint or two in favour of the bounty on corn: though we by no means defired to be confidered as taking up Mr. Young's quarrel, there ftill remaining points of fome importance to be fettled, even if he should happen to be on the right fide of *that question.

As we have feveral times, on former occafions, and lately in confidering Mr. Young's pamphlet and another together on that fubject, entered pretty fully into the question of the bounty, we hope Mr. Wimpey will excufe our recapitulating what has been so often urged: but as we would not be accused of treating him with neglect, we fhall produce fix Facts, on which he lays great ftrefs, and examine what they amount to.

i. 'Tis an undoubted fact, that exportation is never carried to fo great an height as when corn is very plenty, and confequently cheap.'

Granted.

2. That the first unfavourable or unfruitful year that follows fuch large exports, inevitably advances the price 50, 60, and fometimes 100 per cent.'

An unfavourable feafon, by the nature of things, will inevitably raise the price of corn: but what was the confe quence of an unfavourable season in the early part even of the last century, when hiftorians tell us, that the nation

Review, vol. xliii. p. 159.
Rev. vol. xlii. p. 229.

↑ Rev. vol. xliii. p. 400.

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