1180 STATISTICS OF AGRICULTURE. Part IV. 



are either general, as the board of agriculture and society of arts ; national, as the High- 

 land society and Dublin institution ; particular, as the Bath and West of England so- 

 ciety ; provincial, as county societies ; and parochial, as being limited to a few individuals 

 within one parish ; of this kind are farmer's clubs, ploughing societies, &c. In regard to 

 the end in view, these societies either embrace the arts in general, the rural arts in gene- 

 ral, or some branch of the rural art, as agriculture ; or some department in that branch, 

 as live stock, sheep, wool, &c. 



7124. All these societies Jiold meetings at stated periods; most of them offer pre- 

 miums for particular objects, specimens of vegetable or animal culture or produce 

 agricultural operations, moral and professional merits, as servants, &c. ; some of them 

 form a library and museum of models or full sized implements a few publish transac - 

 tions, and one or two, as the Dublin society, send out itinerant ploughmen and agricul- 

 tural mechanics to instruct practical farmers. These societies are almost wholly 

 supported, and the fund for premiums raised by the subscriptions of members, and by 

 voluntary donations, legacies, &c. ; but some, as the board of agriculture and the Dub- 

 lin society, have received assistance from government. 



7125. Of English agricultural societies the oldest is the society of arts founded in 

 1754, by Lord Folkstone, Lord Romney, Dr. Hales, and Shepley. They have pub- 

 lished many volumes of transactions, awarded immense sums in premiums, and, on the 

 whole, done much good. (See Rees's (7?/c. art. Society.) 



7126. The Bath and West of England society was founded in 1777, for purposes simi- 

 lar to those of the London society of arts : they have published some valuable volumes 

 of transactions, and distributed various rewards, &c. (Rees's Cyc. ^c.) 



7127. The board of agriculture was founded under the authority of government about 

 1793 ; much was expected from this board, but, excepting the publication of the county 

 reports, and the general attention which it called to agriculture, it may well be asked 

 what advantages arose from it. Their Communications, in several quarto volumes, con- 

 tain fewer valuable papers in proportion to their total number than either the London 

 society of arts, or the Bath societies publications; in short, it has been ably shewn in 

 The Farmer s Magazine, and the article agriculture in the supplement to the Encyc. 

 Brit. , that the board never directed its efforts in a manner suitable to its powers and 

 consequence ; and that instead of discussing modes of culture, its attention ought to 

 have been directed to the removal of the political obstacles to agriculture, and to the 

 eliciting of agricultural talent by honorary rewards, &c. No idea is more erroneous 

 than that of such a board, or any other doing much good by a national " experimental 

 farm." Horticulture is much better adapted for improvement in this way than agriculture, 

 but a few years will shew whetlier the immense garden of the London Horticultural 

 Society will answer the expectation of the subscribers. 



7128. Of Welsh societies there are only two or three of inferior note, which have been 

 already noticed in the topography of the country. 



7129. Of Scotch societies the principal now existing are the Highland society and the 

 Dalkeith farming society. 



7130. The Highland society of Scotland was established in 1785, to enquire into the 

 state of the Highlands, to consider the means of their improvement, and the preservation 

 of their language; it is chiefly supported by the subscriptions of its members at a 

 guinea each, a year, and a grant of 3000/. from government, soon after its establish- 

 ment. It has published 5 vols, of prize essays and papers, and now extends its prizes 

 to all the low counties of Scotland. (Farm. Mag. vol. 16 316.) 



7131. O/'/mA soctefies the principal are the Dublin society and the Cork institution. 



7132. The Dublin society was established in 1731, and incorporated in 1749. Arthur 

 Young observes, that it was the parent of all the similar societies now existing in Europe ; 

 but the Edinburgh agricultural society, as we have seen, (775. and 801.) was established 

 nearly ten years before. The Dublin society, in its present advanced state, is one of the 

 most complete establishments of the kind that exists. (Rees's Cyc. art. Dublin.) 



7133. The farming society of Ireland was established under the patronage of the Dublin society in 1800. 

 The object is to improve the agriculture and live stock of the kingdom. {Archer's Dublin, 160.) 



7134. The Cork institution, for applying science to the common purposes of life, ori- 

 .ginated in private subscriptions about the beginning of the present century ; it has since 

 been incorporated, and received the assistance of government, has a house, large botanic 

 garden, and under its auspices are delivered lectures on chemistry, botany, agriculture, 

 &c. ; it is not, however, in a flourishing state, and has never been of much use. 



7135. The principal county societies in the three kingdoms have been noticed in the 

 topography of agriculture : many of them were established several years before the board 

 of agriculture. 



7 136. The only other iastittitionsfor the improvement of agriculturists and agriculture are 

 public professorships : of these there is one in the university of Edinburgh, established 



