AGR 



25 



AI T 



Husbandry was published in 1731. 

 Though this writer's theories were in 

 some respects erroneous, yet even his 

 errors were of service, by exciting in- 

 quiry, and calling the attention of hus- 

 bandmen to ini[)ort3nt objects. His 

 hostility to manures, and attempting, in 

 all cases, to substitute additional tillage 

 in their place, were prominent defects in 

 his system. — After the time of Tull's 

 publication, no great alteration in Bri- 

 tish agriculture took place, till Robert 

 Bakevvell and others effected some im- 

 portant improvements in the breed of 

 cattle, sheep and swine. By skilful 

 selection at first, and constant care 

 afterwards to breed from the best ani- 

 mals, Bakewell at last obtained a va- 

 riety of sheep, which, for early maturity 

 and the property of returning a great 

 quantity of mutton for the food which 

 they consume, as well as for the small 

 proportion which the weight of the offal 

 bears to the four quarters, were with- 

 out precedent. Culiey, Cline, Lord 

 Somcrville, Sir J. S. Sebright, Darwin, 

 Hunt, Hunter, Young, &c. &c., have all 

 contributed to the improvement of do- 

 mestic animals, and have left little to 

 be desired in that branch of rural econo- 

 my. — Among other works on agricul- 

 ture, of distinguished merit, may be 

 mentioned the Farmer's Letters, Tour 

 in France, Annals of Agriculture, &c. 

 &c., by the celebrated Arthur Young ; 

 Marshall's numerous and excellent 

 works, commencing with Minutes of 

 Agriculture, published in 1787, and 

 ending with his Review of the Agricul- 

 tural Reports in 1816; Practical Agri- 

 culture, by Dr. R. W. Dickson, &c. &c. 

 The writings of Kaimes, Anderson and 

 Sinclair exhibit a union of philosopliical 

 sagacity and patient experiment, which 

 have produced results of great import- 

 ance to the British nation and to the 

 world. To these we shall only add the 

 name of John Loudon, F. L. S. H. S., 

 whose elaborate Encyclopaedia of Gar- 

 dening and Encyclopedia of Agricul- 

 ture have probably never been sur- 

 passed by any similar works in any 

 Janguage. — The establishment of a 

 national Board of Agriculture was of 

 very great service to 13ritish iiusbandry. 

 Hartlib, a century before, and Lord 

 Kaimes, in his Gentleman Farmer, had 

 pointed outthe utility of such an institu- 

 tion, but it was left to Sir John Sinclair 

 to carry their ideas into execution. To 



the indefatigable exertions of that wor- 

 thy and eminent man the British public 

 are indebted for an institution, whose 

 services cannot be too highly appre- 

 ciated. ' It made farmers, residing in 

 different parts of the kingdom, acquaint- 

 ed with one another, and caused a rapid 

 dissemination of knowledge amongst 

 the whole profession. The art of agri- 

 culture was brought into fashion, old 

 practices were amended, new ones in- 

 troduced, and a degree of exertion call- 

 ed forth heretofore unexampled among 

 agriculturists im this island.' " — Encyc. 

 Am. 



AGRIMONIA. Agrimony. Nine 

 species. Hardy. Division. Commoa 

 soil. 



AGROMYZA viola. Pansy Fly. 

 It attacks the flower by puncturing the 

 petal, and extracting the juice; the 

 puncture causes the colouring matter to 

 fade. This very minute fly is shining 

 black, bristly, eyes green, head orange. 

 It appears in May and lives throughout 

 the summer. Where it deposits its 

 eggs is unknown. — Card. Chron. 



AGROSTEMMA. Four species. 

 Hardy herbaceous. Division. Common 

 soil. 



AILANTUS. Two species. Hardy 

 deciduous trees. The glandulosa is of 

 rapid growth, and thrives admirably on 

 light thin soils, where many forest trees 

 do not succeed — it is objectionable by 

 reason of suckering, and to many from 

 the unpleasant odour of the flowers. 

 Cuttings. Loamy peat. 



AIR. Atmospheric air is uniformly 

 and universally composed of 

 Oxygen'. ... 21 

 Nitrogen ... 79 



Every 100 parts, even in the driest 

 weather, containing, in solution, one 

 part of Water; and every 1000 parts 

 having admixed about one part of Car- 

 bonic Acid. The average proportions 

 are 



Air 98.9 



Watery Vapour . 1.0 

 Carbonic Acid Gas 0.1 



All these are absolutely necessary to 

 every plant to enable it to vegetate with 

 all the vigour of which it is capable; and 

 on its due state of moistness depends, in 

 a great measure, the health of any plant 

 requiring the protection of glass. See 

 Leaves, Roots, Stove. 



AITONIA capensis. Green-house. 

 Cuttings. Rich mould. 



