AGRICULTURE. 



I'fl'ig ami Micliael Ileldingns, he composed tin- fa- 

 liiniis Interim. 



JUTI.TUHK is tho art of cultivating the earth 

 in Mich a manner as to cause it id produce, in the 

 greatest plenty and perfect inn, tl KM- vegetables which 

 ;ire useful In man, and to the animals \\liich hi- lias 

 subjected to his dominion. This art is the basis of 

 all other arts, and in all countries coeval with the 

 first dawn of civilization. Without agriculture, man- 

 kind would he savages, thinly scattered through in- 

 terminable forests, with no other habitations than 

 c.iverus, hollow trees or huts, more rude and incon- 

 venient than the most ordinary hovel or cattle shed 

 >f the modern cultivator. It is the most universal 

 as well as the most ancient of the arts, and requires 

 the greatest number of operators. It employs seven- 

 eighths of the population of almost every civilized 

 community. Agriculture is not only indispensable 

 to national prosperity, but is eminently conducive to 

 the welfare of those who are engaged in it. It gives 

 health to the body, energy to the mind, is favourable 

 to virtuous and temperate habits, and to knowledge 

 ;:nd purity of moral character, which are the pillars 

 of good government and the true support of national 

 independence. With regard to the history of agri- 

 culture, we must confine ourselves to slight sketches. 

 The first mention of agriculture is found in the writ- 

 ings of Moses. From them we learn that Cain was a 

 " tiller of the ground," that Abel sacrificed the " first- 

 lings of his flock," and that Noah " began to be a hus- 

 bandman, and planted a vineyard." The Chinese, 

 Japanese, Chaldeans, Egyptians, and Phoenicians, 

 appear to have held husbandry in high estimation. 

 Tlie Egyptians were so sensible of itsolessings, that 

 they ascribed its invention to superhuman agency, 

 and even carried their gratitude to such an absurd 

 excess as to worship the ox, for his sen-ices as a la- 

 Innirer. The Carthaginians carried the art of agri- 

 culture to a higher degree than other nations, their 

 contemporaries. Mago, one of their most famous 

 generals, wrote no less than twenty-eight honks on 

 agricultural topics, which, according to Columella, 

 were translated into Latin by an express decree of 

 the Roman senate. Ilesiod, a Greek writer, sup- 

 jHised to be contemporary with Homer, wrote a poem 

 on agriculture, entitled Weeks and Days, which was 

 so denominated because huslxindry requires an exact 

 observance of times and seasons. Other Greek writ- 

 ers wrote on rural economy, and Xenophon among 

 the number, but their works have been lost in the 

 lapse of ages. The implements of Grecian agricul- 

 ture were very few and simple. Hesiod mentions a 

 plough, consisting of three parts the share-beam, 

 the draught-pole, and the plough-tail ; but antiqua- 

 rians are not agreed as to its exact form ; also a cart 

 with low wheels, and ten spans (seven feet six inches) 

 in width ; likewise the rake, sickle, and ox-goad ; 

 lint no description is given of the mode in which 

 they were constructed. The operations of Grecian 

 culture, according to Hesiod, were neither numerous 

 nor complicated. The ground received three plough- 

 ings one in autumn, another in spring, and a third 

 immediately before sowing the seed. Manures were 

 applied, and Pliny ascribes their invention to the 

 Grecian king Augeas. Theophrastus mentions six 

 different species o't manures, and adds, that a mixture 

 of soils produces the same effects as manures. Clay, 

 he observes, should be mixed with sand, and sand 



Lh day. Seed was sown by hand, and covered 

 with a rake. Grain was reaped with a sickle, bound 



sheaves, threshed, then winnowed by wind, laid 

 in chests, bins, or granaries, and taken out as wanted 

 by the family, to lie pounded in mortars or quern 

 nulls into meal The ancient Romans venerated the 

 plough, and, in the earliest and purest times of the 



republic, the greatest praise which could be given tc 

 an illustrious character was to say that hi- was an in- 

 iliMrious and judicious husliaiidman. M. Cato, the 

 ri-nsor, who \\as ccle!>ratcd as a statesman, orator, 

 and general, ha> in^ conquered nations and governed 

 provinces, derived his highest and most durable 

 honours from having written a voluminous work on 

 agriculture. In the (iconics of Virgil, the majesty 

 of verse and the harmony of numbers add dignity and 

 grace to the ino-t useful of all topics. The cele- 

 brated Columella flourished in the reign of the em- 

 peror Claudius, and wrote twelve hook son husbandly, 

 which constituted a complete treatise on rural a Hairs. 

 Varro, Pliny, and Palladius, were likewise among 

 the distinguished Unmans who wrote on agricultural 

 subjects. With regard to the Roman implements of 

 agriculture, we learn that they used a great many, 

 but their particular forms and uses are very imper- 

 fectly described. From what we can ascertain re- 

 specting them, they appear more worthy of the not ice 

 of the curious antiquarian, than of the practical cul- 

 tivator. The plough is represented by Cato as of 

 two kinds one for strong, the other for light soils, 

 Varro mentions one with two mould-boards, with 

 which he says, " when they plough, after sowing the 

 seed, they are said to ridge." Pliny mentions u 

 plough with one mould-board, and others with a coul- 

 ter, of which he says there were many kinds. Fal- 

 lowing was a practice rarely deviated from by the 

 Romans. In most cases, a fallow and a year's crop 

 succeeded each other. Manure was collected from 

 nearly, or quite as many sources as have been re- 

 sorted to by the modems. Pigeons' dung was es- 

 teemed of the greatest value, and, next to that, n 

 mixture of night soil, scrapings of the streets, and 

 urine, which were applied to the roots of the vine 

 and olive. The Romans did not bind their corn into 

 sheaves. When cut, it was sent directly to the area 

 to be threshed, and was separated from the chaff by 

 throwing it from one part of the floor to the other. 

 Feeding down grain, when too luxuriant, was prac- 

 tised. Virgil says, " What commendation shall I 

 give to him, who, lest his corn should lodge, pastures 

 it, while young, as soon as the blade equals the fur- 

 row!" (Gcor., lib. i. 1. 111.) Watering on a large 

 scale was applied both to arable and grass lands. 

 Virgil advises to " bring down the waters of a river 

 upon the sown corn, and, when the field is parched 

 and the plants drying, convey it from the brow of a 

 hill in channels." (Gcor., lib. i. 1. IOC.) The farm 

 management most approved of by the scientific hus- 

 bandmcn of Rome was, in general, such as would 

 meet the approbation of modern cultivators. The 

 importance of thorough tillage is illustrated by the 

 following apologue : A vine-dresser had two daugh- 

 ters and a vineyard ; when his oldest daughter was 

 married, he gave her a third of his vineyard for a 

 portion, notwithstanding which he had the same 

 quantity of fruit as formerly. When his youngest 

 daughter was married, he gave her half of what re- 

 mained ; still the produce of his vineyard was undi- 

 minished. This result was the consequence of his 

 bestowing as much labour on the third part left after 

 his daughters had received their portions, as he had 

 been accustomed to give to the whole, vineyard. 

 The Romans, unlike many conquerors, instead of 

 desolating, improved the countries which they sub- 

 dued. They seldom or never burned or laid waste 

 conquered countries, but laboured to civilize the in- 

 habitants, and introduce the arts necessary for pro- 

 moting their comfort and happiness. To facilitate 

 communications from one district or town to another, 

 seems to have been a primary object with them, and 

 their works of this kind are still discernible in nu- 

 merous places. By employing their troops in this 



