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committee, that no miller fhould be prevented from making fine flour for the confumption of any perfons who refide within the diftricts where the ufe of fine flour is not prohibited, fo far as the making fuch flour for the confumption of fuch perfons hath been the ufual courfe of his trade.

4. That it is the opinion of this committee, that magiftrates be alfo empowered to prohibit, within their refpective jurifdi&tions, for a limited time, the making for fale any other bread made of wheat meal alone, than fuch as fhall be made of the whole meal, deducting only at the rate of five pounds of bran out of fixty pounds of wheat.

5. That it is the opinion of this committee, that magiftrates be empowered, within their refpective jurifdictions, to prohibit, for a liinited time, the making of any bread for fale, except fuch as thall be made of the whole meal of wheat as above defcribed, or of fuch mixtures of wholefome farinaceous food, and in fuch proportions as they fhall appoint.

6. That it is the opinion of this committee, that for the purpose of carrying the last resolution into effea, magiftrates be empowered to oblige the millers, within their refpective jurifdictions, for a limited time, to grind and drefs, if required, and if confifient with the powers and mechanifm of their mills, fuch forts of grain as fhall be neceflary for making the faid approved mixtures.

7. That it is the opinion of this committee, that magifirates thall not make any of the prohibitions before mentioned, without futficient public notice.

8. That it is the opinion of this committee, that within the city of

London and the liberties thereof, the company of the bakers of the faid city, and in any other county, city, divifion, district, town or place, any baker or maker of bread for fale, miller, or mealman, may, within the refpective jurifdiction to which he or they do belong, or wherein he or they do exercise their trade, occupation, or mystery, have an opportunityof offering to fuch juftices as aforefaid, all fuch objections as fuch company of bakers, or fuch bakers or makers of bread for fale, or fuch millers or mealmen, may have and think fit to offer, against any fuch prohibition or regulation as aforefaid, at the time when fuch juftices as aforefaid thall have under confideration the ordering any fuch prohibition or regulation

Sir John Sinclair's Addrefs to the Board of Agriculture, the 24th May 1796.

Igitur et de culturâ agri præcipere, principale fuit, etiam apud exteros; fiquidem et reges fecere, Hiero, bilome tor, Attalus, Archelaus, et duces Xenphon, et Panus etiam Mago; cui qaidem tantum bonorem fenatus nofter (Romanus) habuit, Carthagine captá; ut cum regulis Africæ bibliothecas donaret, unins ejus duo de triginta de agricultura volumina, cenferet in Latinam linguam transferenda, cum jam M. Cato precepta condidiffet, perinifque lingue Pa nice dandum negotium, in quo præcethi omnes vir clariffimæ familiæ D. Syl lanus.

PLIN. HIST. MUND. 1. xviii. c. 3.

Gentlemen,

AS it will probably be extremely difficult to procure again a fufficient attendance of the members of the board at this feafon of the year, and during the bustle of a general election, I think it may

not be improper to take the opportunity of this meeting briefly to flate the progrefs we have made, fince I last had the honour of addrefling mylelf to you at the conclufion of the preceding fellion.

It is on all hands acknowledged, that the exertions of the Board of Agriculture laft year, in promoting an extra cultivation of potatoes, was attended with the happiest confequences, the beneficial effects of which (both the culture and ufe of that valuable root having thus been greatly extended) will probably long be felt, when the circumftance from which it originated may be forgotten. In fact, in times of fcarcity and diftrefs, there is no article comparable to potatoes. They will grow in the pooreft foils; they can be taken up in detail as they are wanted; they require no manufacture of drying, milling, &c. previous to their being ufed; and they can be prepared in various ways for confumption. Above all, it is to be obferved, that there is a fpace of perhaps four months, which generally is fupplied from the old flock, but in times of fearcity must be taken from the new crop. That is a circumftance of lefs confequence where fpring corn is the food of the people (but even there it is defirable to threth the corn in winter rather than in the fpring, as the straw is better for the cattle :) but where the people live upon wheat, which is fown in autumn, the cafe is otherwife; and it is inpollible to fay what diftref's it might occafion (when there is no oid ftock of wheat in the country), unleis the aid of fuch an article as potatoes can be obtained, if the farmer is obliged, in a hurried and deftructive manner, to threth corn,

both for feed for himself, and food for the public. He might be tempted, indeed, by the high price of grain for food, to delay fowing his feed until the favourable feafon has elapfed, in which cafe it is impoffible to fay what damage would ultimately refult from it.

The board not having yet obtained the privilege of franking, its correfpondence is much more limited and lefs regular than it ought to be, and is attended with a degree of trouble and inconvenience to the perfon who prefides at it, of which it is difficult to form an adequate conception. In contequence, however, of the want of this privilege, fo effential to a public inftitution, and the great reftriétions recently impoted upon the privileges enjoyed by a member of parliament, it has been found impoffible to keep up that extenfive and regular correspondence, and to procure that extent of infor mation, from which the public might derive fo many important advantages. By the active zeal, however, of many friends to the inftitution, information was at a very early period fent to the board, containing rather unfavourable ac counts of the laft year's crop of wheat. I thought it a duty, therefore, incumbent upon me, to make ute of every degree of influence which my fituation as prefident of this board gave me with the public, to recommend, in the ftrongeft manner, an extra cultivation of wheat laft autumn My letter upon that fubject, dated 11th September 195, was fent to all the members of the board, was tranfmitted to the quarter feitions of the different, counties, and was printed in apoye titty difforent newspapers. It is with me

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pleafure I add, that the recommendation was attended with more extenfive confequences than could well have been expected. From all parts of the kingdom intelligence has been received, that a greater quantity of wheat was fown laft autumn than perhaps at any period in the memory of man; and hould the enfuing harveft prove favourable, this kingdom will be as well flocked with grain as it was fome years ago. At any rate, by these measures, much risk of an immediate scarcity feems to be obviated.

The high price of corn, at the commencement of the laft feffion, naturally directed the attention of parliament to confider the beft means, not only to remedy the prefent diftrefs, but to prevent it in future. For attaining the first object, a felect committee was appointed, known under the name of the corn committee, whofe anxious zeal to do every poffible juftice to the great fubject referred to their confideration merits the utmoft praife. The measures recommended by that committee have fince been confidered unneceifary by fome individuals, in confequence of the price of grain having had a temporary fall-But it will probably yet appear, that, had it not, been for the earneft recommendation of that committee to economize the confumption of bread, to ufe other kinds of grain as fubftitutes for wheat, and to encourage the importation of foreign corn by bounties of uncommon magnitude, the price of grain would not probably have decreased, and complaints would have been made of the inattention of government to the diftrefles of the country; a

more ferious ground of accufation than any over anxiety, which, at all times, particularly in regard to fo critical a matter as the fubfift ence of the people, is at least excufable, but on the prefent occafion was not only neceifary, but has proved extremely beneficial.

It was a matter, however, of ftill greater importance to prevent, by fome great and effectual measure, the risk of fcarcity in future, and our being under the difgraceful and fatal neceffity, not only of depending upon foreign grain for our fubfiftence, but alfo of encouraging its importation by high bounties. With that view, in confe quence of the directions of this board, I had the honour of moving in parliament for the appointment of a select committee, to take into its confideration the means of promoting the cultivation and improvement of the wafte, uninclof. ed, and unproductive lands of the kingdom. The paffing of a general bill of inclofure though long ardently wished for, has hitherto been attempted in vain, and by many was held to be impracticable. By the exertions, however, of the felect committee, to whom the drawing up the bill, and the confideration of the whole fubject was referred, a bill has at laft been prepared, which, in the opinion of many intelligent perfons converfant in that fubject, is fully adequate to the object in view; and had not the laft feffion been closed rather earlier than was expected, it would probably have received the fanction of the legislature this year. truff, however, that the first feffion of the enfuing parliament will have the credit of completing this important and valuable system, on

which

which the future fubfiftence of the country depends. It is not likely at leaft to fail, if it can be effected by the exertions of the Board of Agriculture.

Another measure recommended by the board, of infinitely lefs im. portance, but at the fame time beneficial to the agricultural interefts of the country, has already paffed. I allude to the exemption of linfeed and rape cakes from duty, by an act of laft feffion, 36. Geo. III. c. 113*. The first article, linfeed cake, is of confiderable importance to the feeders of cattle, and may be had, it is fuppofed, in abundance from America, where a great quantity of linfeed oil is made ufe of in painting their wooden houses. The refufe, known under the name of linfeed oil or cake, is of little value there, in confequence of the fuperabundance of other kinds of provifion for cattle. Nothing would be more defirable than thus to eftablish a new fource of trade, beneficial to two countries, inhabited by a race of men speaking the fame language, defcended from the fame common origin, and who ought to confider themselves as the fame people. As to rape cake, it is found to be a valuable manure in many parts of this kingdom. Confiderable quantities of this article, it is fuppofed, may be obtained from the continent of Europe; and fince this regulation has taken place, Rape will probably be cultivated in America. Were Ruffia alfo to devote fome part of her boundless territories to the culture of that plant, the foundation of a

commerce might be laid advanta. geous to both empires.

In regard to collecting and circulating agricultural information, the true foundation of all thofe various improvements, which, under the aufpices of the board, will probably be effected, confiderable progrefs has been made. The general views of the agricultural ftate of the different counties, with the exception of two small diftricts in Scotland (Clackmannan and Kinross,) a part of each of which is already printed, have been completed. The corrected reports of Lancashire, Norfolk, Kent, Staffordshire, and Mid Lothain, are published; and those of feveral other counties are almoft ready for the prefs. A valuable addition has been made to the printed paper on manures. The sketch of a report on a point which has of late been much difcuffed, namely the fize of farms, has also been printed, and throws much light upon that fubje&. A valuable communication from Lord Winchelsea, on the advantage of cottagers renting land, was ordered to be printed, with the unanimous approbation of those who had the fanction of being present when that paper was read to the board.

It is impoffible, in this short abflract of our proceedings, to give any idea of the numerous communications tranfmitted to the Board, or of the various points to which its attention has been directed. Its experiments in regard to the compofition of bread, and information tranfmitted to it upon that fubject,

Intituled "An Act for allowing the Importation of Arrow Root from the British Plantations, and alfo of Linfeed Cakes and Rape Cakes from any foreign country, in British built fhips, owned, navigated, and registered according to law, without paying of duty."

would

would of itself have been fufficient fame work. It would also be de

to have occupied the full attention of many focieties. The perfection to which the manufacturing of barley flour has been carried under the auspices of this inftitution, is a difcovery of great importance, as it is thus afcertained, that from the meal of pearl or pot barley, bread may be made, in tafte and colour, and probably in nourishment, little inferior to that of wheaten flour; and that in the proportion of at leaft one-third, fuch meal may be mixed with the produce of wheat, fo as hardly to be diftinguished. A very general correfpondence has been eftablished, for the purpose of a certaining the price of flock, both lean and fattened. Experiments on a great fcale, under the directions of that able chymift Dr. Fordyce, are now carrying on at Gubbins in Hertfordshire, the feat of Mr. Hunter, for the purpose of afcertaining the principles of vegetation, and the effects of manures; and steps are now taking, in order to procure fuch information refpecting the various forts of live ftock in the kingdom, as will enable us to give, in the course of next year, complete information to the public upon that important fubject.

I have ever confidered it to be a wife principle for the board to adopt, not to print books for reference, but books for ufe; not maffy volumes on a variety of different fubjects, beyond the income of the generality of the people to purchase, or their time to perufe; but, if poffible, diftinét publications, each of them on one article, exclufively of every other, avoiding the intermixture of various topics, and diftricts in the

firable, that no paper fhould be publifhed by the board, until it bas been before it is printed, circulated among all thofe who are likely to correct and improve it, and thus brought to fome degree of perfection previous to its publication. Agriculture though often treated of, has hitherto never been difcuffed; and it can never be much improved, until information refpecting it has been' collected from all quarters, has been afterwards thoroughly canvaffed, and has ultimately been condenfed and fyftematized. Such, however, has been the great number of communications tranfmitted to the board upon various important fubjects, in particular farm buildings, cottages, and the state of the poor, embankments, roads, the conftruction of mills, and of hand mills in particular; together with a variety of interefting papers refpecting the agriculture of foreign countries, that the board has refolved to print a specimen of thofe papers in one volume quarto, in order to afcertain the opinion of the public refpecting that mode of laying before it the papers we have received, in addition to the county reports now publishing.

The bufinefs gone through by the board of agriculture is certainly more than could poffibly be expected from an institution poffeffed of fuch limited powers, and of lo confined an income. The time, however, it is to be hoped, is not far diftant, when it will be put on a better and more refpectable footing;-when the fuperior impertance of fuch inquiries, the fuperior value of agricultural refources, and dreadful expence, and

fatal

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