Obituary Notices. 183 



and subsequently at the Universities of St. Andrews and 

 Edinburgh, he boarded himself, with a view to learn farm- 

 ing, with Mr. Brown, one of the largest and most skilful 

 farmers in the county of Berwick, which had then the 

 repute of being the best-farmed district in Scotland. On 

 this farm — Whitsome-Hill — Mr. Stephens remained three 

 years, engaging with his own hands in " every species of 

 work which the ploughman, the shepherd, and the field- 

 worker must perform in the field, or the steward or cattle- 

 man at the steading ; and even in the dairy and poultry- 

 house part of his time was spent. All this," he adds, " I 

 undertook, not of necessity, but voluntarily and with cheer- 

 fulness, in the determination of acquiring a thoroughly 

 practical knowledge of my profession." On the overthrow 

 of Napoleon, Mr. Stephens went abroad with the view of 

 familiarising himself with Continental agriculture, and 

 visited most of the countries of Europe. Returning home, 

 he proceeded to apply his knowledge to practice on his own 

 estate of Balmadies, in Forfarshire, selecting a farm of 300 

 acres. The result of his improvements was that the farm, 

 for which not more than £150 rent was offered before it 

 was taken in hand by Mr. Stephens, in a few years let for 

 £400. 



About forty years ago, Mr. Stephens removed from For- 

 farshire, and took up a permanent residence in the suburbs 

 of Edinburgh, where he busied himself in preparing those 

 works on which his fame rests. The first edition of " The 

 Book of the Farm" was issued in 1842; and so lately as 1871, 

 Mr. Stephens, at his then advanced age, brought out a new 

 edition entirely recast, and in great part re-wrote the work, 

 in order to bring its contents up to the latest developments 

 of practical agriculture. Several editions were printed in 

 America, and the book has been translated into nearly all 

 Continental languages. In conjunction with Mr. G. H. 

 Slight, he published " The Book of Farm Implements and 

 Machines," in 1858 ; and in 1861, assisted by Mr. R. Scott 

 Burn, "The Book of Farm Buildings "; and in 1867, com- 

 pleted this series of valuable works by joining Dr. William 

 Sellar in producing "Physiology at the Farm." Mr. Stephens 

 was likewise author of a " Manual of Practical Draining," 

 an "Essay on Yester Deep Land Culture," and a "Catechism 

 of Practical Agriculture." For many years he edited the 

 " Quarterly Journal of Agriculture," and for some years also 



