A G R 



A G R 



The indefatigable exertions of Dr. A adcrfon in promoting 

 tlie iinproveiTit.'nt of the more prai^iual hraiiches of the art, 

 bv his various detached writings, iiave hkewife contributed 

 much to its advancement ; and Mr. B:ik.e\vell, by drawing 

 the attention of the breeder and grazier to the moll advan- 

 tageoirs modes of breeding, rearing, and feeding, as well as 

 the general management of different kinds of live floek, has 

 greatly promoted the improvement of tliat intricate, though 

 important braneli of hiilhandry, which has fmce been 

 brought Hill nearer perfection by the vail and well direfted 

 exertions ot his Grace the Duke of Bedford, and other 

 noblemen, e<jually zealous in forwarding the advancement of 

 this difficult department of the art. 



But neither the dillinguilhed example of the Sovereign, 

 the endeavours of provincial focictics, nor the exertions of 

 private individuals, with whatever zeal and attention theymay 

 be diretled,are probably fufficient to extend the knowledge of 

 hulbandry to that degree which is necelTary for its complete 

 and radical improvement. This could only be fully aecom- 

 plilhed by the powerful influence and expeufive exertions of 

 a national ellabliflunerit iniUtuted for the piupofe. Such<?n 

 inftitution has at laft been brought forward and ellabliflied 

 by the intelligent and perfevering efforts of Sir John Sinclair ; 

 to the honour of the coimtry, the age, and the individual 

 who fuggelled it. 1'he inlHtution of a Board of Agricukure 

 and internal improvement has already contributed materially 

 to the extenlion and advancement of the knowledge of rural 

 affairs. The Hate of the art in the greateil: part of the 

 kingdom has been aicertained, a great variety of new and 

 interefting fafts and praftices have been brought to view, 

 and improvements in the iuftrumental and other departments 

 fuggelled. Among thefe the elucidation of the principles 

 and praftice of draining or removing the injurious v.'ctnefs 

 of land, arlfmg from fprlngs and other caufes, as laid down 

 and explained by Mr. Elkington, is of great importance and 

 deferving of notice, not only as the bafis or foundation of 

 many improvements in the art, but as leading to the con- 

 venient and cafy application of water for irrigation and va- 

 rious other purpofes. See Board of Agriculture. 



In addition to this great (ource of improvement, the fcicnce 

 of agriculture has lately derived effential advantages from 

 the judicious application of the principles of other fciences. 



In this refpecl the modern dlfcoveries in chemiftry and 

 vegetation have been particularly important, as is evident 

 from the works of Tillet and Haffenfratz, on the Continent, 

 and of Prieilley, Anderfon, Kirwan, Dnndonald, Darwin, 

 and many others in our own country. By thefe our know- 

 ledge of the principles of vegetation, and the epcrations of 

 different fubllances upon each other, has been much enlarged ; 

 and our acquaintance with the nature, formatioji, and 

 modes f>f applying manures, or the food of plants, rendered 

 more c'' ir and fatisfaftory. 



AGRiF.LvEA, in £ola7iy, the •zwVrt' olive. 



AGRIFOLIUM, or Aquifoluim, in Botany^. See 

 Ilex and Holly. 



AGRIGi^ I ' or ifle of St. Francis Xavier, in Geography, 

 one of the Li-' rones or Marianne iflands, which is moun- 

 tainous ai d lar. e, being about yo mihs in circumference, 

 and remarkable for its volcano. N. lat. 19° 4'. E. long, 

 146". 



AGRIGENTUM, or AgrAgas, i-i yinc'unt Geography, 

 a very famous city on the fouth coaft of Sicily, near the fpot 

 which is now occupied by Girgenti. The principal part 

 of the ancient city, as Mr. Swinburne and M. Houelle 

 inform us, lay in the vale ; and the prefent town of Gir- 

 geuii is fituated en the mountain, where was the citadel of 

 Cocalus, and probably the ancient city. Agrigentum de- 



riv<;d its name from Acragas, the original name of the city, 

 and alfo of a neighbouring dream, both which according to 

 Polybius, were fo called from the country, denominated 

 axja»;>i, acrat^e, on account of its fertility. Some authors, 

 afcending to fabulous antiquity, relate, that l)a;dalus fled to 

 this fpot for protcttion againfi Minos, and built many won- 

 derful edifices for Cocalus, king of the illand. Polybius 

 (lib. ix. p. j6o. Ed. Cafaub.) fays, that it was founded by 

 a colony of Rhodians ; that it was fit\iated on a rock ; and 

 guai dcd by a fortrels to which there ^yas only one way of 

 accels ; and that in the citadel there was a temple of Mi- 

 nerva, and alfo of Jupiter Atabyrius, who was worfliipped 

 under this appellation, in the ifle of Rhodes. Tliucydides 

 (Hill. lib. iv. p. 3S0, and Annal. p. 23. Ed. Dukeri) in- 

 forms us, that Acragas was founded by a colony from Gcla, 

 under the command of Arilh)nous and Pyllihis, in the 50th 

 olympiad, or 579 years before Chrill. It Hood between 

 the rivers Agragas and Hypfa, the foi-mer of which is now 

 called Flume di Gergenti, and Flume di San Biaggio, and 

 the latter Flume Drago. The fituationof Agrigentum was 

 admirably adapted to the purpofes of defence, commerce, 

 and pleafure. It was guarded by a barrier of I'ocks, which 

 were (Irongly fortified ; (lieltered by pleafant hills ; and en- 

 joyed the view of a fpacious plain, watered by the Acragas, 

 and a convenient port or emporium at the mouth of the river. 

 Its free government and commercial fplrlt raifed it to a degree 

 of wealth and power, exceeded only by thofe of Syrucufc. 

 Its buildings of every kind were in a i'mgular degree mag- 

 nificent and fplendid. Befidestheter.iples already mentioned, 

 that of Jupiter Olympius deferves particular notice. Ac- 

 cording to the account of Diodorus Siculus (lib. xiii. torn, 

 i. p. 607. Ed. Weffcling,) it was 340 feet long, 60 broad, 

 and 120 feet high. This hillorian extols the beauty of 

 the columns, which fupported the building, the admirable 

 ftrufture of the porticoes, and the exquifite talle with which 

 the bas-reliefs and paintings were executed ; but he adds, that 

 the {lately edifice was never finiflied. On the eallern lide 

 was exhibited the battle of the Giants, and on the well the 

 capture of Troy, with the figures of the heroes in their ap- 

 propriate habits. Cicero, againfi Verres, fpeaks of the 

 magnificence of the flatues which he carried away. Mr. 

 Swinburne informs us, (Travels, vol. iv. p. 24.) that it has 

 not now remaining one Hone upon another ; ai:d that it is 

 barely poffible, with the liberal aid of conjefturc, to difcover 

 the traces of its plan and dimcnfions. He adds, that the 

 cathedral of Rome exceeds this celebrated Agrigentine 

 temple more than doubly in every dinienfion ; being 2 15 feet 

 higher, 334 longer, and 4^3 wider. The other ruins which 

 this writer furveyed, and which he has curforlly deleribed, are 

 thofe of the temple dedicated to Ceres and Proferpine, the 

 peculiar patroncftes of Sicily, the temple of Juno, the doric 

 temple of Concord, which has all its columns, entablature, 

 pediments, and walls entire, with part of the roof wanting, 

 and which is now converted into a church, cimfecrattd 

 to St. Gregory, bifhop of Girgenti; the temple of Hercules, 

 the tomb of Thero, the temple of Efculapius, and the 

 temple of Caflor and Pollux. Near this is a large lake or 

 fifh pond, defcribtdby Diodorus at feven lladia in circuit and 

 20 cubits deep. It was cut in the folid rock, and water was 

 conveyed to it from the hills ; a great quantity of fifli was 

 bred in it for the public entertainments ; fwans and other 

 wild fowl fwam along its fnrface for the aniufement of the 

 eitizens, and the depth of water prevented an enemy from 

 furprifing the town on that fide. It is now dry, and ufedas 

 a garden. 



The inhabitants of Agrigentum, with all their advan- 

 tages, were corrupted and cnfetbkd by their additlednefs to 



luxury 



