UTILITY OF BOTANl IX AGRICI LTURE 



on scientific principles, nor advanced in equal proportion with 

 other branches of knowledge. 



It is not many years since Dr. Home observed, thai Virgil and 

 Columella, old as they are, remained almost the only writers 

 worth consulting on this subject. 



Many others have appeared since, which roused a laudable spirit 

 throughout Great Britain, for the improvement of arts and sciences, 

 under the protection of their public institutions; and every branch 

 of agriculture seems to be studied as it deserves (by them both in 

 Britain, and on the continent of Europe), ami is attended with that 

 success which commonly results from the right application of know- 

 ledge to the purposes of human life. 



The Swedes have made great progress in the improvement of 

 this branch of economics. Jn France, Du Hamel has rend< 

 himself conspicuous by his writings on this subject; and in various 

 parts of Europe, societies have been formed with a professed new 

 for this purpose. It may he mentioned with peculiar pleasure, 

 that of Padua, over which Dr. Arduin presides; who, by the 

 munificence of the Venetian State, has a garden for the cultivation 

 of such vegetables as they wish to subject to experiments in agri- 

 culture, dyeing, and other arts: a noble institution, and worthy of 

 imitation (by us Americans). 



Amidst that almost infinite variety of vegetables with which the 

 beneficent hand of Nature has replenished our earth, those which 

 o-o under the general name of Grasses form the principal food oi 

 our cattle. Next to these, among the natural classes of plants, 

 none are more acceptable than the Biadelphous or Leguminous 

 Herbs. Of this class is the Glover, the Saint-foin (or Cock's head), 

 and the Lucerne, or Medic fodder, much used in France. 



Beside these, our horses, horned cattle, sheep, &c, will all in 

 their turn, eat with equal pleasure, and some with more avidity. . 

 great variety of other bles. Numerous instances occur, 



where one species of animals will feed greedily upon those hi 

 which others refuse to touch, and will almost famish rather than 



eat them. 



Some plants are highly noxious, and even poisonous, to certain 

 kinds of animals; while they are eaten by others without the I 

 subsequent ill effect: to instance, the Cieuta virosa, or long-leaved 

 Water Hemlock, 'tis said, is fatal to cows, when through scarcity 

 of food they are obliged to eat it : yet sheep and horses feed upon 



