A GRICUL TURAL WRITERS. 



STEPHEN SWITZER. 



1682-1745. 



Although this enlightened man was more of a gardener than of an 

 agriculturist, he deserves mention in our list, because in most of his 

 writings he has much to say that is interesting to the farmer; indeed, 

 the book of which I reproduce the title page comes quite within our 

 text. 



He also wrote "The Country Gentleman's Companion, or Ancient 

 Husbandry Restored and Modern Husbandry Improved," and " An 

 Account of the Lucerne, Sanfoin, Clover, and Other Grass Seeds, with 

 a Method of Burning Clay for the Dressing of Land," but the book I 

 illustrate on page 177 was evidently his mao^iiiim opus. 



This work is in three octavo volumes of a thin size, in about 

 260 pages each. A long preface fills fifteen pages, and the contents 

 follow of each volume separately. A historical sketch is given from the 

 earliest notice down to the time of the author, and is succeeded bv an 

 essay concerning earth, water, sun, and air, and the process of nature 

 in vegetation. 



The raising of forest trees is treated, and of the timbers 

 in parks and policies. Figures and delineations are given, with 

 the application of instruments for special purposes. Orchards are 

 largely treated, and woods and groves described and figured. The 

 purely agricultural part of the work occupies the second part of the third 

 volume, and is contained in six chapters. The sections mention the 

 subject matter, as the management and improvement of arable land by 

 the plough, spade, &c. ; of winter fallowing ; of earths and their 

 improvements ; of the nature of dungs, sheep and hogs, poultry ; of 

 marble, chalk, and lime used before sowing ; the superficial dressings 

 are coal ashes, wood ashes, kiln ashes, sawdust, turf ashes, lime, malt 

 dust, sea sand, loam, loamy sand, burnt vegetables, soap and pot ashes, 

 soot, rags, pigeons' dung, sea shells, burn bating, burning of meadows 

 and pasture ground by heath and fern, claying, and by inclosures ; of 

 ploughs and ploughing; of sowing ; of draining of lands ; on hop yards 

 and the management. 



At this period he was evidently not a master man, for he traces 

 the absence of improvement to the ignorance of the practitioners, 

 and that ignorance to the want of encouragement under which 

 they were labouring. Instead of being treated as a superior member 

 of the establishment he says, " too many masters have no more 



