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The Country Gcntlcniaiis Magazi7ie 



AMATEUR FARMING A HUNDRED YEARS AGO. 



ARTHUR YOUNG, in his " Rural 

 Qiconomy," has some very apposite 

 remarks relative to gentlemen farming their 

 own land, which are not quite out of place 

 even at the present day. The heading of 

 the chapter is "Considerations on the CEcono- 

 mical Conduct of such Gentlemen as make 

 Agriculture either their Business or Amuse- 

 ment." He proceeds as follows : — 



Perhaps we might, without any great 

 impropriety, call farming the reigning taste 

 of the present times. There is scarce a 

 nobleman without his farm : most of the 

 country gentlemen are farmers ; and that in 

 a much greater extent of the word than when 

 all the country business was left to the ma- 

 nagement of the stewards, who governed, in 

 matters of wheat and barley, as absolutely as 

 in covenants of leases, and the merits of 

 tenants ; for now the master oversees all the 

 operations of his farm, dictates the manage- 

 ment, and often delights in setting the 

 country a staring at the novelties he intro- 

 duces. The practice gives a turn to conversa- 

 tion, and husbandry usurps something on the 

 territories of the stable and the kennel — an 

 acquisition which, I believe, with reasonable 

 people, will be voted legal conquest. 



But to speak in another strain, all parts 

 of rural economics are, at present, much 

 studied, and no less practised. It is impos- 

 sible but this admirable spirit, which does so 

 much honour to the present age, must be at- 

 tended with great effects. For men of educa- 

 tion and parts cannot apply to anything with- 

 out diffusing a light around them ; much more 

 so when they give their attention to a business 

 that hitherto has occupied few besides the 

 most contracted and most ignorant set of 

 people in the world. And facts, as far as 

 they have been discovered, warrant this 

 opinion ; for, I apprehend, no one will dis- 

 pute there having been more experiments, 

 more discoveries, and more general good 

 sense displayed within these ten years in the 



walk of agriculture than in a hundred pre- 

 ceding ones. If this noble spirit continues, 

 we shall soon see husbandry in perfection, 

 as well understood, and built upon as just 

 and philosophic ])rinciples as the art of 

 medicine. 



This general pursuit hurries all kinds of 

 people to farming. Even citizens, who breathe 

 the smoke of London five days in the week 

 throughout the year, are farmers the other 

 two ; but, what is more to the present pur- 

 pose, many young fellows of small fortune, 

 who have been brought up in the country, 

 addict themselves to agriculture ; numbers 

 even desert the occupations to which they 

 were brought up, and apply to a trade so 

 much more pleasant and independent. 



Many are the young people whose relations 

 having left them a farm or two (by no means 

 to make them country gentlemen, but as a 

 fund to raise money for prosecuting the 

 business perhaps of a counting-house, or 

 a shop) they are captivated at once with 

 the idea of living in the country, upon their 

 own estates, and turning over a book or two 

 of husbandry (they can scarce lay their hands 

 on one but will promise them a fortune in six 

 weeks) find nothing so easy as to make a great 

 income by farming. So flattering a resolution 

 is soon taken, and they commence their new 

 profession. Nor is this the only instance ; 

 all sorts of people, not absolutely fixed in 

 other employments, partake of the fashion, 

 and turn farmers. Physicians, lawyers, 

 clergymen, soldiers, sailors, merchants — the 

 farming tribe is now made up of all ranks, 

 from a duke to an apprentice. 



No fault is to be found with this rage for 

 agriculture ; in whatever manner it is con- 

 ducted, manybeneficial effects must inevitably 

 flow from it ; but what I shall aim at in this 

 little sketch is to offer some cool advice to those 

 who embrace husbandry as a trade, without 

 knowing anything of its practice ; who embark, 

 themselves and their fortunes in a ship which 



