129 



by his third wife, was a Physician, and Secretary to the Royal 

 Society. Mr. Mortimer was an ingenious man. He much 

 improved Topingho Hall ; the beautiful Cedars still flourish- 

 ing there were planted by him. He was a Fellow of the Royal 

 Society. He wrote several pamphlets on religious education. 

 He is mentioned here on account of his having written. 



The whole art of Husbandry, or the way of managing and 

 improving of land, being a full collection of what hath been 

 writ either by ancient or modern authors ; with many additions 

 of new experiments and improvements not treated of by others ; 

 as also an account of the particular sorts of husbandry used in 

 several counties, with proposals for its further improvement. 

 To which is added. The Countryman's Kalendar. 2 vola. 

 1707. 8vo. Again in 1709, 1712 and 1714. The fifth edition 

 is dated 1721. The last Edition with improvements was in 

 1761. 



This work was approved of in the age inj which it appeared, 

 and was even translated into the Swedish language and pub- 

 lished at Stockholm in 1727. The first volume is devoted 

 entirely to Agriculture, and of its merits I shall not hazard an 

 opinion. The second volume is devoted to Planting, Arbori- 

 culture, and Gardening. It is terse and superficial through- 

 out; tinctured with vulgar prejudices. He gives no lists of 

 varieties of any of the Kitchen Garden plants. Of Apples he 

 enumerates about 110 — Pears 138 — C^'ierries 32 — Plumbs 71 

 ■ — Apicots 5 — Peaches 47— Nectarines 16 — of others few or 

 none, and the directions for cultivation are slight and imperfect. 

 His descriptions of Green Houses arc grossly deficient, and 

 would convey the information that Glass was not employed in 

 their construction even at the time of publishing the fifth edi- 

 tion; and even advocates the warming them by open fires in 

 holes sunk in various parts of the floor. He dismissos the 

 cultivation of the Potatoe in ten lines, more than four of which 



