cular attention to the improvement of wool. On that subject I received two letters from the noble Lord, fully proving his zeal in the cause.

SIR,

To Sir John Sinclair, Bart.

Houghton, 22d March 1791.

I am to acknowledge the favour of your letter inclosing your last publication, which I have given to be carefully perused by some considerable wool-growers in this neighbourhood.

I am extremely happy to hear, that you intend to honour me with your company at this place in Passion week, and I remain, with much truth, your most obedient and humble servant, ORFORD.

His next communication was as follows:

SIR,

Enshall, 19th July 1791.

I beg your acceptance of three fleeces clipt from my hoggets on a farm in this neighbourhood, which I have directed to Edinburgh. If you choose to have any tups of my breeds, I can send them to Leith from Lynn; and I shall have great pleasure in supplying you.

I flatter myself with the hopes of seeing you in this part of the country, when you return into the south; and I remain, with great regard, Sir, your most obedient humble servant, ORFORD.

My valuable coadjutor having died soon after his having sent me the above, in the hurry of an extensive correspondence, I had accidentally addressed a letter to him, recommending to his attention a person in the agricultural line, which was opened by his successor. His polite acknowledgment of it I subjoin, as being an interesting communication, coming

from the celebrated Horace Walpole, who had then become Earl of Orford.

SIR,

Berkeley Square, December 21. 1791.

By the date of your letter, and by the subject of it, I perceive it was not intended for me, but for my nephew, the late Lord Orford, recently dead; an error I could not discover till I had opened it.

I am sorry for the person you patronise, Sir, that I am equally incapable of serving him, and of seconding your views for the good of your country. I am as ignorant of agriculture, as my nephew might be knowing; and I am so sensible of my inexperience, and of being too far advanced in years to learn any science adequately, that I shall certainly keep no land in my own hands; and my nephew, not having lived long enough to find his improvements increase his estate, I shall be obliged to contract the number of his dependents, instead of augmenting them. Though I opened by mistake a letter not designed for me, I thought this explanation due to you, Sir, and especially that the person who brought it might not lose his time.

I have the honour to be, with great respect, Sir, your obedient humble servant,

ORFORD.

4.-MARTIN BLADEN, LORD HAWKE.

This respectable nobleman was as much distinguished by his zeal for agriculture, as his father was celebrated for his naval victories. Knowing well his anxiety to promote the improvement of the country, I took an early opportunity of communicating to him my plan for establishing " A Board of Agriculture," in answer to which, I had the pleasure of receiving from him the following letter:

DEAR SIR,

I am much obliged by the perusal of your plan, and perfectly agree with you in the benefits that will result from it. Agriculture is certainly very little understood at present; or at least, if the principles may be said to be understood, they are very little diffused, and confined only to a few places.

A spirit of combination and calculation are more necessary than even of industry and experiment. I do not think that we want good principles of cultivation in this country. We have sufficient industry, and rather too much experiment. While we consider the benefit of the introduction of some new grass, and contend whether a thick or a thin boned sheep is most beneficial to the breeder, we neglect the combinations and calculations of labour;-how to perform the greatest quantity of work in a farm with cattle, at the least expense ;--how also to clean corn from the straw, without loss, and at the smallest cost, by means of machines ;-how to construct stacks or ricks of corn in the most beneficial manner ;how to encourage the erection of Dutch barns for hay throughout the kingdom;-how to improve the hoeing of turnips by horses, so as to render the cultivation of them more general ;how to introduce more generally the cultivation of carrots and cabbages into the fields, in the garden style. An attention to all this would considerably increase the real riches of the kingdom; and by making every state more productive, would tend very much to keep down the price of provisions, and render them still reasonable, notwithstanding a great increase of population. Another great advantage would be derived from your plan: Government would be able to ascertain and draw a line between agriculture aud manufactures. By giving too great an encouragement to the latter, the loss of hands is very often severely felt by the former. I am sure I speak within compass, when I say, that throughout the northern parts of the kingdom, from the want of hands last year at their harvest, their loss must have amounted to a sum very little short of five hundred thousand pounds, which is the rea

son of the dearness of wheat, and the very high price of barley, equal to what good wheat sold for last year.

To prove to you how little we understand the calculation of labour, turn your eyes as you travel through the different counties of the kingdom, and you will see, that whether the soil be light or adhesive, or whatever its nature may be, every county adopts one universal mode in cultivating the ground; -the same kind of plough peculiar to the province, and the same strength of horses and men. Were your plan put in execution, the best modes of ploughing, and of the other things which I have mentioned in the former part of my letter, would be generally diffused and adopted throughout Great Britain.

I have often thought of something similar to your plan myself. I must confess I have only been diverted from carrying it into execution, by the present troublesome times, apprehensive that it might appear as a society formed for other purposes than those for which it was intended, the real improvement of the agriculture and landed interest of Great Britain, and an amusement for myself in the pursuit of a favourite study. My idea was to have established a society of not more than fifty, nor of less than forty members; each member to have subscribed fifty guineas, and when the whole should have been subscribed, a secretary and clerks to have been chosen.

I flatter myself the society would have been attended with much good, and no detriment to the country. Certainly, should Government take the idea up on a liberal plan, much good will be derived from it; and though I should not wish to belong to it, yet I will always be very ready to communicate with you, and give you any answers in detail, to the best of my power. I have always the honour to remain, with much esteem and truth, Dear Sir, your most obedient servant,

HAWKE.

Portland Place,

Monday, April 29. 1793.

Though the noble Lord at first declined belonging to the

intended institution, yet he at last agreed, and became one of the ablest and most useful of its members.

5.-WILLIAM, LORD AUCKLAND.

There were few men in our time possessed of more creditable abilities for business than the late Lord Auckland. Having a great regard for him, when he was appointed Minister to negociate a treaty of commerce with France, I resolved to give every assistance in my power, in order to enable him to accomplish that object.

Soon after his arrival in Paris, I received from him the following letter:

DEAR SIR,

Hotel d'Elbeuf, Rue de Vangdeard, May 5.

I send by this courier a large packet under Lord Caermarthen's cover, directed to you. I believe that it contains either books, or some specimens sent from his Most Christian Majesty's saltpetre works.

I am now beginning to feel myself arrived at this place. The first three or four weeks were a perpetual fever of business and ceremonies, added to the comfortless circumstance of being obliged twice to move a very large family of children, who are at length well arranged at a good house. Under these impediments, I have not had time to go farther into private societies, than my situation forced upon me; but I hear indirectly, of many respectable and well-informed friends whom you have in Paris, and shall be glad, in due time, to make my way towards them.

If you have any commissions, be so good as to forward them to me from Lord Caermarthen's office, and I will execute them as well as I can. I am, with the highest esteem, Dear Sir, most sincerely yours,

WM. EDEN.