:

much the cafy means of making a proper advantage of the bounteous gifts of nature, in almoft every country, have been ftrangely neglected and overlooked for nothing has been delivered in any book, concerning the kinds of plants proper for. the different kinds of cattle: the confequence of which inattention frequently is, that the farmer, by not diftinguishing and felecting the feeds of proper graffes, fills his pastures with weeds, or, which is here equivalent to them, with bad graffes, unfit for the nourishment of the creatures which he intends to rear *.'

In Sect. 2. of this Chap. he gives us the names and culture of the feveral graffes fittest for pastures. And, after juftly cenfuring the common way of proceeding to lay down land to grafs, by taking the feeds indifcriminately from a foul hay-rick; by which flovenly method, the ground is often filled with weeds ; he advifes (after Mr. Stillingfleet, in his Obfervations on Graffes) to have a few clean feeds gathered by hand; for would but the farmer be at the pains of feparating, once in his life, half a pint, or a pint, of the different kinds of grafs-feeds, and take care to fow them feparately; in a very little time he would have wherewithal to flock his farm properly, according to the nature of each foil.'

It is then added, how eafy Mr. Stillingfleet found it to procure the creeping bent, the fine bent, the fheep's fefcue, the crefted dog-tail, and other valuable graffes, (of which drawings are given) by employing children of ten or eleven years old, to gather the feeds for him; which, he fays, they did, without making any mistakes, after he had once fhewn them the forts

Wherever farmers act in this undiftinguishing manner, their management must be allowed, indeed, to be very bad. But ftill we are' not entirely without our doubts, whether even the present work will be fufficient for their full inftruction in this useful branch of Husbandry. For though the Author attempts to lay down rules for the farmer's guidance in this interelling concern ;. yet they feem not to be altogether fo clear as might be wifhed. But this defect may, perhaps, be owing to the contradictions he met with in the writers from whom the rules he delivers are chiefly feleted. Thus, p. 308, we are told, from Linnæus, that horfes easily diftinguish wholefome from noxious food; and that fome of those animals (in one of his journeys) when fo very hungry, as even to devour molt forts of plants they happened to meet with in a wood, (where he ftopt to fearch for botanical curiofities) would not, however, eat monk's beod, and fome other fpecies of plants.-But notwithstanding this, we are told, in the very next page, viz. 309, (from the Swedish-Pan) that monk's hood kills a goat, but will not hurt a horse: -as how indeed fhould it, if he car not, even by the fevereft hunger, be brought to tale it? We think that fuch apparent contradictions as the above, and some others that we have occafionally met with, fould not have been inferted, without an attempt, at leaft, to reconcile them.

he

he wanted.'Tis alfo no bad method to leave a small part of a meadow, where the graffes are heft, and leaft mixed, unmowed till the feeds are quite ripe, and fit for gathering.

The number of graffes fit for the farmer is very fmall; perhaps half a dozen, or half a fcore, are all he need to cultivate; and how finall the trouble would be of collecting the feeds of thefe, and how great the benefit, must be obvious at firft fight.'

In Sect. 3. our Author treats of the improvement of paftures already under grafs.-Many meadows and pafture-grounds, he obferves, are fo over-run with bushes, weeds, ant-hills, &c. that great part of them is loft to the hufbandman, whofe firft care, therefore, fhould be, the removing of thefe obftacles: for the more effectual doing of which, feveral ufeful directions are given. Worn-out lands are commonly over-run with mofs: bur whatever reftores the pafture to a good heart, will (he fays) destroy the mofs.'

But the most effectual way of improving old grafs-grounds, is by means of M. de Chateauvicux's three-coulter'd plough, which is to be ufed thus: In November, or December, the whole furface muft be cut with that plough, into flips three, inches wide, which is the diftance between each of the coulters., This will have two effects; first, the coulters will tear up great part of the mofs with which all old paftures are infected, and gradually deftroy it and fecondly, the coulters, piercing five or fix inches deep into the earth, cut the extremities of many of the roots of the grafs, and thofe cut or broken roots afterwards. produce new ones, which will give fresh strength and vigour to the plants, and, as it were, renew them, and make them young again.'

To render this improvement ftill more perfect, as foon as the whole furface is cut, dung muft be carried on, and fpread as, foon after as poffible. The fmaller the dung is broken, the more useful it will be: because its minute particles will then be beft carried by the rain into the traces which the plough has cut, and give furprising ftrength to the plants. This method of repairing and improving poor or worn out meadows and pafture-grounds, does not require any great quantity of dung: one load of it will go as far, in this practice, as three would in the common way; and be much more beneficial to the grafs. M. de Chateauvieux has tried it for fome years, with all the fuccefs he could defire. He thinks that one acre thus cultivated, will produce as much grafs as ten in the common way.'

The neceffity of water, in paftures, is so evident; that Mr. Mills has given drawings of various machines for raifing it, where it cannot otherwife be had: an excellent wheel for which purpose is reprefented by Fig. 7, Plate IV. This engine was invented by M. de la Faye, and is now used with great fuccefs by

the

the Hon. Mr. Hamilton, at his feat at Pain's-bill in Surry., This machine confifts of a wheel, which turns upon its axis, and has four curved pipes fixed to it. The mouth of the pipe afcends as the wheel is turned round by the ftream, and the water [therein] defcends, till the wheel has made half* a turn', when it is difcharged into the axle-tree, which is hollow, from an opening at the end of which it is conducted by troughs, or other channels, to wherever it is wanted.

We have next fome very judicious obfervations and directions for watering of ground, in order to increase the quantity of grafs; but for thefe, and fome very useful remarks upon haymaking, we must refer to the book.

Chap. V. treats OF INCLOSING of land: a part of Husbandry,' (as Mr. Mills obferves) in which the English have hitherto greatly excelled every other people;-from which we daily reap fuch vaft advantages, as leave room only to wonder, that there should yet remain among us prodigious tracts of now abfolutely wafte, though in fact, highly improveable, land. How immenfely might the power and wealth of this nation, the fplendor and revenues of the crown, and that most important object, population, the true bulwark of the ftrength and glory of a ftate, be increased, by inclofing, and cultivating, many parts of the extenfive forefts, heaths, and commons, in this puiffant kingdom! The infinite benefits that would accrue therefrom, are evident to a demonftration."

In particular;-inclosures afcertain to every man his juft property, and prevent trefpaffes, and litigation. They keep the land warm, and thereby add to its fertility. They afford fhade in the fummer, and fhelter in the winter, for cattle. Their cuttings afford fuel; and are an encouragement to good" Hufbandry, and a remedy against beggary, by employing many poor people in the labour which the making, or mending, of them conftantly requires, [but] which is amply repaid by the increafe of crops: for it has been remarked, not only that well inclofed countries generally maintain treble the number of inhabitants, or more, than the champaign; but alfo, that thofe inhabitants

So fays Mr. Mills;-but whoever views the draught of the wheel in the plate, and confiders the ftructure of the pipes, will foon be convinced that it is abfolutely impoffible for the water to be discharged at all, when the wheel has made only half a turn; and that a whole revol lution must be performed, to produce that effect.

+ The inclosing of heaths, commons, and, what are commonly called, wafte grounds, is undoubtedly a great benefit to the public, and a manifest help to population; and therefore to be encouraged.But where large, open corn-fields are inclofed, we are not quite clear, that the crops will be thereby much, if at all, increafed and we are

pretty

habitants are much better fed, and clad, than the common run of people in uninclosed lands.'

Mr. Mills advises every gentleman whofe eftate is not yet inclofed, to begin with having a map of it drawn, that he may portion it out with the greater propriety, fo as to render it mot pleafing to the eye, and moft convenient to each farmer.-And he very truly remarks, what is deferving of all fuch gentlemen's notice, that-fmall farms have always been obferved to yield the greatest proportional rent.'-[How then fhall we account for that ruinous practice, which prevails in too many places, of letting a whole township to two or three overgrown farmers, who are thereby enabled to hoard up the annual gifts of provi dence, and in the midst of plenty, produce an artificial scarcity, to the enriching indeed of themselves, but to the unfpeakable detriment of their poor neighbours; who, notwithstanding their utmoft industry, are forced to crouch to thefe unfeeling masters, at the fame time that they pay them an exorbitant price, for that corn which is required for the daily bread of themselves and families. -This grievance could never have arrived at the height it has done, if the Act of 31 Eliz. Cap. 7. Sect. 1. had been obferved, which requires four acres of ground to be laid to very cottage (with fame few exceptions only) erected fince that time. But alas! where will you find any cottage at all, with fuch a quantity of land occupied therewith, at this day?]

As to the methods of raifing different kinds of fences, for inclofing land, we must refer to the book; and proceed to the last Chap. of this Vol. which treats of the fituation of farms and farmboufesa fubject (as Mr. Mills obferves) truly interesting to every inhabitant of the country, as the health, and confequently the welfare, of them all muft greatly depend on the choice of proper fituations to live in.

Befides the healthinefs of the fituation, the air, water, and foil, fhould be particularly attended to in the choice of a farm or eftate. The air fhould be pure and temperate; the water wholsome and easily come at; and the foil rich.'

The buildings on the farm fhould be proportioned to the produce, especially as to ftore-rooms.-The houfe fhould be be built on the most healthy fpot of the farm, in a temperate air, fuch as the middle of a hill commonly enjoys, where it is neither fifling in the fummer, nor expofed to the rage of winds and ftorms in the winter.

But as it is impoffible for all houfes to be thus fituated, we

pretty well perfuaded that the number of people will be greatly leffened by fuch a practice; for no fmall fhare of that land which must be arable. while in an open field, will be laid down to grafs, when inclofed. And every one knows that grafs land is managed with much fewer hands than arable and who will employ more than they want?

afterwards

afterwards meet with feveral judicious methods of guarding, in fone measure, against fuch inconveniences of fituation, as cannot wholly be removed, or avoided. The following Obfervations appearing juft, as well as philofophical, we prefume the extract may be acceptable to our Readers.

We are too little attentive to the fituation of houfes with regard to rivers; though a judicious choice in this must be of great confequence to the health of the inhabitants. A quick flowing ftream, with a clean channel and dry banks, will rather add to the beauty and healthinefs of a country: but oozy banks over-run with weeds, or other ftrong coarfe grafs, fhould be carefully avoided, as being a fhelter to all manner of putrid filth, from whence unfalutary vapours muft arife. It is a general opinion, that it is fafer to dwell on the north, than on the fouth, fide of fuch a river. Yet it has been obferved by a most ingenious gentleman, whofe long refidence in warm climates has afforded him ample opportunities of knowing the truth, that an oozy, flow-moving river, or a putrid marfh, is leaft hurtful on the north-fide of a dwelling-place. The reafon affigned by him is, that the foutherly winds being warm, putrefaction is thereby promoted and increafed in fuch a river, or marfh, and the vapours are alfo more copioufly raifed. Thefe vapours do not rife high into the air, rendered light by the warmth of the fouth wind, but rather glide along the furface of the earth, where they are moved by a gentle breeze, and fo are brought into the houfes, and breathed by the inhabitants, to the injuring of whofe health their mifchief is not confined; for they also hurt their furniture, and even their utenfils of Husbandry: whereas when the north-wind blows, the air is generally cool, putrefaction is checked, fewer vapours arife, and thefe, by the greater denfity of the air, are fooner raised high and diffipated. Northerly winds are alfo generally brifker; and therefore the air has lefs time to be tainted in paffing over fuch river or marfh. The fame quantity of vapour arifing in any given time, is diluted as it were, and its power weakened, by being mixed with a greater quantity of air. Add to this, that, poffibly, the hu-, man body, being more relaxed when the warm and foutherly winds blow, may then be more fufceptible of the injuries occafioned by thefe moist and putrid exhalations.'

This volume concludes with fome obfervations on the great public evils attending the practice of landlords throwing their eftates into very large farms: but as we have already introduced our own opinion upon this point, which entirely agrees with that of Mr. Mills, we too fhall conclude with putting the landed gentlemen of this nation in mind of Virgil's direction,

Laudato ingentia rura,

Exiguum colito:

Georg. Lib. II. 412.

For