417
Conclusion. App. No. 2.
Plan of a Society for Promoting Agricultural Improve-
MENT. To BE CONSTITUTND BY A R.OYAL OR PARLIAMENT-ARY Charter.
Introduction.
The improvement of a country depends upon three particu-lars:—1. Skill; 2. Spirit; and, 3. Capital.
In regard to skill, there never existed, in any country, so greatan accumulation of agricultural knowledge, as what Great Bri-tain now possesses ; and if is rapidly disseminating over the wholekingdom, both by the publications of the Board of Agriculture,and the works of many intelligent authors, who are repeatedlydiscussing that subject. . ,
That,a spirit of improvement exists, is evident, by the demandfor books on husbandry ; by the number of private agriculturalsocieties which have been recently established ; by the pleasurewith which agricultural subjects are so generally discussed; andby the extensive improvements which are now carrying on in everyquarter of the kingdom. Unfortunately, however, these im-provements have not kept pace with the increasing demand forfood ; and hence it has been found necessary to pay to foreign-ers, in' the short space of twenty years, above fifty-seven millionsSterling, for articles which, by proper exertions, might easilyhave been raised at home, had our cultivation been carried tothat height of which it is capable.
As there is land enough in the country, either now lyingwaste, or imperfectly cultivated, to raise all the articles we want,and no deficiency either in skill or spirit, the ixant of capital isthe only circumstance that can have prevented improvementsfrom being carried on, to any extent that our necessities couldrequire. Landed gentlemen, indeed, have very rarely muchmoney to spare; find it often difficult to borrow on the securitiesthey can offer; and are naturally apprehensive, when money be-comes scarce, of being called upon for repayment: whereas, ifthey could be supplied with money at a moderate rate of inter-est, or if the burden varied according to the profit made fromthe undertaking, and if the principal were in no case to be de-manded, there are no limits to the improvements which mightbe carried on, but the boundaries of the Island .
In order to effect so important an object, the following plan issuggested.
Plan of the Society.
That under the authority of Parliament , the sum of one mil-lion (or any other sum adequate to the purpose) be raised by a
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