fupport her future offspring; and the common earth-worm propagates its species above ground, when the weather is mild and moist, or the earth dewy. The eggs, depofited on the tender germ, are conveyed with the food into the ftomach and intestines of the animals, whence they are received into the lacteal veffels, carried off in the chyle, and pass into the blood; nor do they meet with any obftruction until they arrive at the capillary veffels of the liver.-Here, as the blood filtrates through the extreme branches, answering to thofe of the Vena Porta in the human body, the fecerning veffels are too minute to admit the impregnated ova, which, adhering to the membrane, produce thofe animalcule that feed upon the liver and destroy the fheep. They much resemble the flat fish called plaice, are fometimes as large as a filver two-pence, and are found both in the liver and in the pipe, (anfwering to that of the vena cava) which conveys the blood from the liver to the heart. If the form of this animal is unlike any thing we meet with among the infect tribe, we should confider that it may be fo fmall in its natural ftate as to escape our obfervation.-Or might not its form have changed with its fituation? The caterpillar undergoes feveral changes before it produces a butterfly." The various accounts which every diligent enquirer must have met with, (as well as the indefatigable Mr. Young) feem very confiftent with the theory of this diforder. If dry, limed land in Derby fhire will rot in common with water meadows, and ftagnant marshes ;-if fome fpringy lands rot when others are perfectly fafe;-is it owing to the circumftance of water, or that of producing the proper food or nidus of the infect? Those who find their aftergrafs rot till the autumnal watering, and fafe afterwards, might probably be of opinion, that the embryo laid there in the fum. mer, is then washed away or deftroyed. With regard to thofe lands that are accounted never fafe, if there is not fomething peculiar in the foil or situation, which allures or forces the infect to quit its abode at unusual seasons, it may be well worth enquiring, whether from the coarsenefs of their nature, or for want of being fufficiently fed, there is not fome grafs in these lands always left of a fufficient length to fecure the eggs of the infect above the reach of the water. Such who affert that flowing water alone is the cause of the rot, can have but little acquaintance with the Somersetshire clays, and are diametrically opposite to those who find their worst land for rotting cured by watering. Yet, may not the water which produces this effect, be impregnated with particles deftructive to the infect, or to the tender germ which ferves for its food or nidus ? For folving another difficulty, that "no ewe ever rots while fhe has a lamb by her fide," the gentlemen of the faculty can beft inform us, whether it is not probable, that the impregnated ovum paffes into the milk, and never arrives at the liver. The fame H 4 learned learned gentlemen may think the following queftion alfo not unworthy their confideration: Why is the rot fatal to fheep, hares, and rabbits, (and fometimes to calves), when cattle of greater bulk, which probably take the fame food, escape uninjured? Is the digeftive matter in the ftomach of thefe different from that of the others, and fuch as will turn the ova into a ftate of corruption; or rather, are not the fecretory ducts in the liver large enough to let them pafs through, and be carried on in the ufual current of the blood? It seems to be an acknowledged fact, that falt-marshes never rot. Salt is pernicious to most infects. They never infest gardens where fea-weed is laid, Common falt and water is a powerful expellent of worms bred in the human body. I could with the intelligent farmer would confider thefe truths with attention, and not neglect a remedy which is cheap and always at hand. Lifle, in his book of husbandry, informs us of a farmer who cured his whole flock of the rot, by giving each fheep a handful of Spanish fait, for five or fix mornings fucceffively. The hint was probably taken from the Spaniards, who frequently give their fheep falt to keep them healthy. On fome farms, perhaps, the utmoft caution cannot always prevent the diforder. In wet and warm feafons, the prudent farmer will remove his fheep from the lands liable to rot. Thofe who have it not in their power to do this, I would advife to give each fheep a fpoonful of common falt, with the fame quantity of flour, 5 in a quarter of a pint of water, once or twice a week. When the rot is recently taken, the fame remedy given four or five mornings fucceffively, will in all probability effect a cure. The addition of the flour and water will, in the opinion of the writer of this, not only abate the pungency of the falt, but difpofe it to mix with the chyle in a more friendly and efficacious manner. Were it in my power to communicate to the fociety the refult of actual experiment, it would doubtlefs be more fatisfactory. They will, however, I am perfuaded, accept of these hints, at least as an earnest of my defire to be ferviceable. Should they only tend to awaken the attention of the induftrious hufbandman, or to excite the curiofity of fome other enquirer, who has more leisure and greater abilities, I shall have the fatisfaction of thinking that my fpeculations, however imperfect, are not entirely useless. I am, Sir, hend, are formed on fo fmall a fcale as to preclude the practicability of taking into their hands a few fields, (and a few would be fufficient) and of appointing fome perfon or perfons to cultivate them, and inftruct the pupils, either according to the idea of Lord Molefworth, which points to the education of poor men's children; or, according to the ideas of Cowley and Sir William Petty, which refpect the education of gentlemen's fons as well as others. At prefent, however, let us at tend to the advantages accruing from each of the above plans; premifing only, that lectures on the theory of husbandry muft, by all means, be accompanied with a clofe attention to the practical part of it in such a manner as may tend to correct the mistakes of fpeculation, to open and enlarge the mind, and to give a clearer infight into the nature of vegetation, and the very fundamental principles of agriculture. Were schools established in different parts of the kingdom for the education of farmer's fons who might be but in low circumftances, gentlemen would never want fenfible and rational improvers of their eftates, who would likewife be the most proper perfons to inftruct parish apprentices and inferior fervants. This the old experienced Varro reckoned to be of principal importance, The bailiffs,' fays he, fhould be men of fome erudition and fome degree of refinement.' But more efpe, cially ought a bailiff to be well fkilled in rural economics: he fhould not only give orders, but alfo work himself; that the labourers might imitate him, and be convinced it is with propriety he prefides over them, because he excels them in the practical part, as well as the scientific. Were this the cafe with us, local and established customs would be regarded no farther than they are founded in propriety; younger fervants would be accustomed to a variation in their methods of culture as circumstances varied; new modes will not be defpifed, because they are new; the effects of experiments would be modeftly expected; the advantages and dif. advantages attending them, would be accurately difcerned; and a continual progrefs would be made in the fcience and practice of agriculture. Were some smart boys felected by each fociety, and educated on the above plan, they would hereafter convey knowledge wherever they went; and their obfervations would be better attended to by inferior fervants, than if they came from perfons of high rank. In fhort, they would effect what even the fuperior knowledge of noblemen and gentlemen could not perform, who have more important objects in view than to cultivate the neglected understanding of every ruftic labourer they may have occafion to employ. Like fmaller rivulets, branching from the main ftream, they would water and fertilize thofe lands where a larger river cannot with propriety expand itself. While under tuition they will learn the expediency of a clean and fpirited fyftem of husbandry; as it is fuppofed that their tutor's fields will be cultivated on these principles. On comparing his crops with those of many others, the truth of Hefiod's maxim would be apparent, that half may be more than than the whole. For fhould they think of becoming tenants, they will view an eftate with this ruling principle, that one of an hundred pounds per annum, well cultivated, will produce at the end of the term more clear profit than another of two hundred a year, treated in a negligent and flovenly manner. An injudicious courfe of cropping, imperfect tillage, partial and improper manures, are not always to be attributed to ignorance, but sometimes to the eitates being too large for the farmer's capital; he does not command the eftate, but the estate him, too frequently to the great injury of both; his hands are bound at his first fetting out; and it is much if they regain their freedom unlefs eventually through his landlord's distraining him for rent and ejecting him from the premises. But what is the farmer to do, if he cannot find a farm in his own neighbourhood fuitable to his capital? fhall he remove into another county, an entire ftranger; or commence day-labourer, or ftarve? The modern practice of throwing feveral small farms into one, is much to be lamented as a national evil in every view; and calls loudly for the regulation of the legislature. But to return to our young farmer, tranfplanted from the nurfery, where his mind received its firit cultivation, unto the fpot where he is fuppofed to fix his refidence. While under inftruction, he was taught to form a pretty good judgment of the qualities, fuch as the tenacity, drynefs, or moisture, of different fields, from the herbage they fpontaneously produce; he will, therefore, immediately perceive which are moft proper to be first under tillage, in order that the eftate may not be impoverished. The want of attention to this circumftance has kept many a man poor all his days, under a notion that the best ground will carry one or two good crops of exhausting corn at first, and fo far prove of immediate great gain; not confidering, that it generally proves a future heavy lofs, from the ne ceffity he will be under of letting it lie fallow, and of applying much expenfive labour in order to extirpate weeds, and much more expenfive manure in order to recover its loft ftrength. Yet ftill, there is a certain vigour in those fields, which have been under a judicious courfe of meliorating crops, though but moderately manured, which even a fallow and a complete ftercoration cannot bestow on any foil which hath been once impoverished; as may be more eafily perceived by a difcerning eye, than described. Our farmer hath been taught, that the good ground (on which his chief dependence is for paying his rent) if preferved in good heart, will often mend the bad; but the impoverishing of one or two of the best fields will frequently affect the whole eftate in the de crease of its pafture, in leffening the quantity of manure, and increafing the expence of tillage. It hath frequently been inculcated on him-that his future fuccefs depends much on his first courfe of crops, that at first, efpecially, meliorating crops are to be preferred, as far as circumftances will admit, to exhausting ones ; ones; that the latter, whenever they are fown, fhould be fucceed ed by the former ;-that those manures which are most apt to produce weeds, fhould either be laid on pafture, or ploughed in for fuch crops as can be beft hoed or have the best tendency to deftroy them, viz. beans, peas, turnips, cabbages, &c. that, although fome of these crops may require rather more expence, and not return that expence in money quite fo foon as fome of the exhausting ones (part of them being appropriated to the fattening of cattle, by which means, the best of manure is raised and in the largeft quantity) yet like thofe bees which travel farthest, and stay out longeft, they generally return home most deeply laden;-that the dung-heap be moft fedulously regarded as the foundation of his future wealth;-but that no manure fhould be laid on wet fpringy lands before they have been drained, unless he chufes to fink the profits of all his other fields. He hath been taught to venture on fome few experiments, on general fixed principles; which, though they might not all of them perfectly answer his expectations, may, nevertheless, throw additional light on the subject of agriculture. In a word, he will become fit company for a gentleman; he will receive and communicate information; and, at the fame time, on account of that chofe attention which he finds requifite, in order that he may pay his rent, he will be continually increafing that important knowledge which an uninftructed mind cannot poffibly attain. Such an inftitution as is here recommended may poffibly be of service to those farmers who have no particular connection with our agricultural focieties; whose fields, however, lying open to the continual view of their neighbours, will be a conftant leffon to those who moft need inftruction, speaking much more intelligibly to them, than accounts of experiments ftated on paper; against which they will be frequently starting that particular kind of doubt, which I have found to be gene. rally expreffed in fome fuch language as this, it may be fo, but I don't know:- -a doubt arifing from a cloud enveloping their minds, which the powers of reasoning are very ineffectual to difpel. But they will fometimes learn that leffon from the plants of the field which they might not chufe to learn from the tongues of their fellow-creatures, because they will not avowedly acknowledge others to be their fuperiors in this art and science. The advantages of fuch an academy for the education of gentlemen's fons, will be no lefs evident with regard to themselves, their pofterity, and the nation in general. On this part of our fubject, my learned mafter thus expreffes himfelf:-" according to the best obfervations, the proper time to infufe that useful part of natural philofophy called husbandry, is in the earlier ftage of life, when there is curiofity and a thirst for knowledge. And, if practice here could be joined with theory, enjoying the open air, exercife, and activity, agree well with the turn and caft of young people, not to mention a revolution of per |