MANUAL OF AGFJCULTUEE. 223 



MANUAL OF AGRICULTURE, INCLUDING THE APPLICATION 

 THERETO OF CHEMISTRY, GEOLOGY, BOTANY, ANIMAL 

 PHYSIOLOGY, AND METEOROLOGY. 



By Richard Hexdersox, Coldstream, Berwickshire. 

 [^Premium — Twen ty-Five Sovereigns. 1 



Chapter L — rutrodiidion. 



Ageiculture, literally, tillage of the ground, is both a science and 

 an art: a science, in so far as its principles are co-extensive with 

 those of chemistry and the cognate physical sciences; an art, in the 

 intelligent direction of these principles to the practical end of 

 best developing the food-producing properties of the soil. The 

 importance of founding the practice of this art in this country 

 upon a more thorough and widely diffused knowdedge of its 

 scientific principles will be granted, when it is stated on the best 

 authority, that by a generally thorough cultivation of the soil the 

 annual agricultural products of Great Britain might be doubled 

 in quantity. And it is a fact, that we annually import food 

 from other countries to the value of L.80,000,000 sterlincc, which 

 fact may, undoubtedly, increase commerce and beget the comity of 

 nations; but at the same time it might leave us in a hazardous 

 position in the event of a sudden political emergency. Agricul- 

 ture is the oldest of the arts ; for we mav rest assured that Adam 

 delved, however problematical may be the question whether 

 " Eve span." Amongst the ancient Egyptians, and later, under 

 the Eoman Empire, its practice attained a high measure of suc- 

 cess, but it rested on a merely empirical basis. Not before the 

 present century has any general scientific knowledge of the laws 

 of nature, which regulate the art, characterised its numerous 

 professors. 



Whatever may be the varieties of soil and climate — and these, to- 

 gether with the subsidiary circumstances of available hum an labour 

 and of markets, may be said to determine the particular mode 

 of agriculture suitable for any locality, — the great fundamental 

 laws, in conformity with which alone is truly successful [iractice 

 possible, are comprised in the physical sciences following : — vdz., 

 Chemistry, Botany, Geology, Animal Physiology, and Meteorology. 

 The last, to reverse the order, under the simple name of " weather," 

 is a subject of interest, scientific or otherwise, to every farmer. 

 It teaches a system of forecast of weather changes. Eorewarning 

 is forearming; and by adjusting farm operations accordingly, 

 great loss is avoided. Animal Physiology treats of the 

 bodily structure and the functions of the bodily organs of 

 our domesticated animals ; and in that department of it we 

 earn the general treatment best fitted to ensure their healthy 

 procreation and profitable development. Geology has to do with 



