OF THE AGRICULTURE OF THE COUNTY OF 2 WESTMORELAND, WITH OBSERVATIONS ON THE MEANS OF ITS IMPROVEMENT. BY ANDREW PRINGLE. Gt. Brit DRAWN UP FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE AND INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT. EDINBURGH: PRINTED BY CHAPMAN AND COMPANY. MDCCXCIV. ADVERTISEMENT. THE following communication, refpecting the present f of husbandry in the county of Weftmoreland, and the mean .its improvement, drawn up for the confideration of the Board of griculture, is now printed, merely for the purpose of its being culated there, in order that every perfon, interested in the welfare that county, may have it in his power to examine it fully befor is published. It is therefore requested, that any remark, or a tional observation, which may occur to the reader, on the perusa the following sheets, may be transmitted to the Board of Agricult at its office in London, by whom the fame fhall be properly atte ed to; and, when the returns are completed, an account will drawn up of the state of agriculture in Weftmoreland, from the formation thus accumulated, which, it is believed, will be fo greatly fuperior, to any thing of the kind, ever yet made public The Board will probably follow the fame plan, in regard to all other counties in the united kingdom; and, it is hardly necef to add, will be happy to give every affistance in its power, to person who may be defirous of improving his breed of cattle, sh &c. or of trying any useful experiment in husbandry. INTRODUCTION. GR REAT Britain had long availed herself of her naturally fortunate pofition for commerce, which, encouraged by every means that the wis dom of the legislature could devife, had been carried to an extent hitherto unequalled in the universe; and the industry of her inhabitants, affisted by the foftering hand of government, had brought many branches of manufactures to the highest state of perfection; while the cultivation of her fields was left to the feeble exertions of the husbandman, aided only by bounties on the raifing of flax, and on the exportation of corn. It was reserved for our days to behold a board, compofed of the firft Officers of the State, and of perfons equally refpectable for high rank, distinguished abilities, and independent fortune, established to fix the attention of a great nation on the improvement of its foil, and to direct and affift in the ancient and most important of all arts, that of providing food for man. The eyes of all Europe are already turned to this board, which, it is believed, is the first national eftablishment, on a great fcale, that ever existed in any country in favour of agriculture, and the advantages of which now appear fo obvious that it is a matter of astonishment that fuch an inftitution was not fooner erected. At the time of the landing of the Romans on this ifland, corn was raised only on the coafts, and even fo late as the expedition of Severus, tillage was altogether unknown in those parts which lay between his wall and that of Antoninus. But, under the dominion of that wonderful people, it foon came to be confidered as the granary of the Western Empire, and immenfe quan tities of corn were annually exported for the use of the armies in Germany and in Gaul; and in the year 359, when there happened to be an extraordinary demand upon the continent, Julian ordered eight hundred ships to be B |