1846.] European ^Agriculture. 233 



pockets of his subscribers; or, if this expression is too vulgar, we 

 will modify the expression and say, that he should at least pro- 

 vide for them a rich intellectual feast. It may be that both was 

 expected, and if so, certainly his task was quite as great as that 

 of an editor of a periodical. 



Essentially, and to all intents and purposes, Mr, Coleman was 

 constituted a delegate to Europe, to observe modes and methods 

 of agriculture by personal inspection, and to report thereupon to 

 his numerous friends and to the agricultural profession in America. 



The subjects of enquiry of course were very numerous, and 

 Mr. Coleman it seems was, in the outset, fully aware of what was 

 before him, as we find a long list of subjects w^hich he proposes 

 to investigate in his preface to the first volume. Thus w^e find 

 the following list of subjects of inquiry, viz: the soil, and their 

 relations to the different crops; manures and their applications; 

 implements of husbandry; the great operations of agriculture, 

 such as plowing, sowing, cultivating and cleaning; harvesting 

 and preparing the crops for use or market; draining, irrigation, 

 fencing; forest trees, grasses, cereals; live stock, poultry, dairy; 

 cultivation of silk, flax, hemp, hops, teasels, madder, woad, mus- 

 tard, chicory, olives, grapes, figs, wool, honey, wine, oil, sugar; 

 horticulture, rural architecture, conservatories, greenhouses; mar- 

 kets, fairs; farming accounts; agricultural labor, societies, ma- 

 nures, shows, schools, education, literature; the condition of the 

 rural population; benefit clubs, mutual assurance associations, 

 cow clubs, friendly associations ; niral life, morals, manners, 

 and customs! A tolerably wide field for one man to work in! 

 A prodigious range of inquiry, which when spread out into 

 volumes would make quite a respectable Encyclopedia. 



Some of the topics which Mr. C. enumerates, and upon which 

 he has favored us with his observations, we propose to lay before 

 our readers. 



The first general title which strikes our eye, is English agri- 

 culture, Mr. C. remarks: 



" The condition of practical agriculture in Great Britain, as far 

 as I have had opportunity of observing it, must be pronounced 



