THE CULTIVATOR. 
103 
and Moscow, liberally endowed and supported by the 
government; and even Ireland, it will be seen by 
the extracts in our last, has started in this noble ca¬ 
reer of usefulness. The United States, which should 
be foremost in efforts to enlighten, improve and ele¬ 
vate the agricultural population, will, we fear, be last 
to establish agricultural schools, and the last to pro¬ 
fit by their usefulness. 
The only present available means of accelerating the 
introduction of these schools among us—for establish¬ 
ed they ultimately must and will be—is the agricultural 
press—the enlarged circulation of agricultural perio¬ 
dicals among the people. We have now about twen¬ 
ty of these in our country. They are every day in¬ 
creasing the sphere of their usefulness, and the ex¬ 
tent of their circulation. They are bringing into no¬ 
tice the best practices in husbandry, and promulgat¬ 
ing the principles of agricultural science. They are 
producing a salutary change in the public mind, in 
regard to the importance of improving our husbandry; 
and this change will ere long, we trust, be felt and 
manifested in our halls of legislation. The sooner 
the better, for all classes of our citizens. 
Utility of Agricultural Societies. 
A national society, for promoting agricultural im¬ 
provement, was about being organized at our last 
dates, in Great Britain, through the active influence 
of Earl Spencer, the Duke of Richmond, and other 
distinguished landholders. There already exists a 
Central Society of Agriculture, which may in some 
measure be termed a national institution. The rapid 
improvement of Scotch husbandry, under the invigo¬ 
rating influence of the Highland Agricultural Society, 
is operating as a powerful stimulus to the formation 
of a similar society in England. The Editor of the 
(London) Farmers’ Magazine, speaks thus of the mat¬ 
ter :— 
“ Attention is at length aroused,” says the editor, 
“ to the remarkable progress which agriculture has 
made in Scotland, and to the high rents cheerfully 
paid by the tenants there, although laboring under 
the disadvantage of a more inhospitable climate. 
That the Scotch are better farmers than the English 
generally, that they pay higher rents, and that their 
system of farming is improving daily, are facts at last 
unequivocally, though reluctantly admitted ; and the 
question is very naturally asked, how has this been 
effected 1 How is it that our northern brethren, la¬ 
boring under acknowledged disadvantages, .have bea¬ 
ten us in the race 1 The answer is, by reducing the 
practice of, and improvements effected by, the most 
talented and skilful agriculturists, to writing, thereby 
establishing agriculture as a science , and again dif¬ 
fusing such information speedily and wfidely amongst 
the farmers. The effective attainment of both ob¬ 
jects may be mainly, if not altogether, ascribed to 
the exertions of the Highland Agricultural Society. 
We have been always so deeply impressed with the 
high value of this society, that we have never failed 
to hold it up as a model to all other agricultural so¬ 
cieties. A like opinion of its utility is rapidly spread¬ 
ing, as well as a desire to become better acquainted 
with the system of management adopted by the 
Scotch agriculturists.” 
The editor continues—“ An agricultural society has 
been formed in Paris, which communicates with more 
than 200 local societies in different parts of France, 
and has correspondents in every part of the kingdom, 
besides more than fifty correspondents in almost every 
part of the world. New local societies are in course 
of formation daily, ploughing matches are introduced, 
a steam plough has been invented ; and agricultural 
schools are established in different parts of France. 
The French possess several experimental farms, and 
the propriety of establishing agricultural colleges, for 
the instruction of youth, is strongly urged by the best 
practical writers of the day. At Petersburgh and 
Moscow, agricultural colleges are established. In 
Prussia, the king especially patronizes agriculture, 
and the academy at Frankfort, upon the estate called 
Moegelin, under the superintendence of M. Thaer, 
the most scientific agriculturist in the world, is well 
known. If we plume ourselves upon our superior 
knowledge, and regard with indifference the exer¬ 
tions made by our neighbors, we shall by and by dis¬ 
cover to our disgrace and shame, and loss, that as in 
the case of the Scotch agriculturists, we shall have 
to go abroad for information,”—-and, we may add, for 
bread! 
Sir John Sinclair. 
If substantial usefulness to the human family con¬ 
stitutes the criterion of merit—as it should do—few 
men are entitled to greater praise than this distin¬ 
guished Scotsman. Many men have the talent to 
be useful, who lack the disposition. There are others, 
who have the disposition to be useful, but lack the 
talent, the means, or the resolution, of carrying out 
their benevolent wishes. In Sir John Sinclair, the 
talent, the disposition, the means, and the perseve¬ 
rance, necessary to accomplish great usefulness, were 
most happily combined, and by him they were most 
successfully employed. Such a man is a blessing to 
his country and to mankind. He saw the agriculture 
of his country, the great source of human subsistence 
and human comfort, in a wretched condition. He 
saw, that from the little intercourse the farmers had 
with other countries and other districts, from which 
they could draw instruction, that little improvement 
was to be expected, except through the united exer¬ 
tions of influential individuals, aided by the liberal 
patronage of the government. 
Impressed with these convictions, he printed and 
circulated, in 1793, his plan for establishing a Board 
of Agriculture; and in a few days afterwards, he 
moved, in his place in parliament, an address to the 
crown, in favor of the proposed establishment, which 
was carried, 101 to 26, the board organized, and he 
made president. In a speech which he made while the 
subject was under discussion in parliament, he point¬ 
ed out the obvious advantages which would result 
from the establishment. In the first place, according 
to his biographer, he regarded it as a general maga¬ 
zine of agricultural knowledge, and a society of refe¬ 
rence, to which any question might be sent, connect¬ 
ed with the improvement of the country. In the 
second place he shewed, that by agricultural surveys, 
carried on under the auspices of such a board, every 
fact or observation known in that country, connected 
with the improvement of the soil, or the stock it 
maintained, would be collected. In the third place, 
that by establishing an extensive foreign correspon¬ 
dence, the discoveries and improvements appertain¬ 
ing to other lands, would be much sooner and more 
widely rendered available, than if dependant wholly 
on private exertion. In the fourth place, that it was 
only through the means of such a board that any ge¬ 
neral improvement of stock could be looked for; and 
that, in the last place, it might be the instrument of 
obtaining a statistical account of England. Five 
thousand pounds—$22,000—was the annual grant, 
and the privilege of franking was given to the board. 
The two great primary objects of the board were, 
to ascertain the general agricultural state of the coun¬ 
try, and the means of improving that state. As the 
most effectual way of accomplishing these objects, 
agricultural surveys were made ; and “ in the course 
of a little more than a year,” as stated by a distin¬ 
guished writer on husbandry, “ the board of agricul¬ 
ture had printed a body of authentic facts respecting 
the agricultural and internal economy of the country, 
greater than was ever obtained by any other nation 
since the beginning of time.” 
But these works, amounting to about eighty vo¬ 
lumes, were too voluminous for general use ; and the 
next object of the worthy president was to condense, 
and bring within the compass of a volume, all the 
most material facts thus collected, in order to render 
them available to the practical farmer, and more con¬ 
ducive to general improvement. He laid it down as 
a maxim in literature, that “ knowledge, previous to 
its being brought into a condensed state, maybe com¬ 
pared to a small portion of gold, dispersed throughout 
a great quantity of ore. In that rude condition, the 
strongest man cannot sustain its weight, nor convey 
it to a distance ; but when the pure metal is separat¬ 
ed from the dross, a child may carry it without diffi¬ 
culty.” 
In his address to the board, in 1813, he remarked, 
“that the power and prosperity of a country depend 
on the diffusion of useful knowledge, can hardly be 
questioned ; and there is probably no art in regard to 
which a variety of knowledge is more essentially im¬ 
portant, than in the art of agriculture. The extent of 
information necessary to bring it to any thing like 
perfection, is hardly to be credited. To preserve the 
fertility of the soil—to free it from superfluous moist¬ 
ure—to cultivate it to the greatest advantage—to 
raise its productions at the least expense—to procure 
the best instruments of husbandry—to select the 
stock likely to be the most profitable—to feed them 
in the most judicious manner, and to bring them to 
the most advantageous markets—to secure the har¬ 
vest even in the most unpropitious seasons—to sepa¬ 
rate the grain from the straw with the most economy 
and success—and an endless variety of other particu¬ 
lars, require a degree of knowledge, to do them well, 
of no common description.” 
_ It is said that Sinclair was first induced to direct 
his attention to a digest or code of agriculture, by a 
suggestion of Sir Joseph Banks, “ that an account of 
the systems of husbandry adopted in the more im¬ 
proved districts of Scotland, would be of the greatest 
advantage to the agricultural interests of the United 
Kingdom: and that it was incumbent upon a native 
of Scotland, while presiding at the board of agricul¬ 
ture, and possessing all the means of information 
which that situation afforded, to undertake the task. 
In objection, Sir John argued, that the labor of ac¬ 
complishing such a task, would be very great—that 
it would be extremely difficult to obtain such infor¬ 
mation, and that it would afford cavillers an oppor¬ 
tunity to attack the board, on the grounds of promul¬ 
gating doctrines which, if acted on, might prove ru¬ 
inous to many farmers.”* But all obstacles vanished, 
when Sir Joseph further urged, “ that agriculture has 
derived, is deriving, and will derive, more benefit 
from Scottish industry and skill, than has been accu¬ 
mulated since the days when Adam first wielded the 
spade.” This was in 1809. Sir John immediately 
set about collecting and arranging the materials for 
his Code of Agriculture. He opened a correspon¬ 
dence with the most eminent men and best practical 
farmers ; made three or four tours upon the continent, 
to acquire a knowledge of the improvements there, 
particularly in Flanders and Holland, of which he 
published accounts ; and he also published a Code of 
Health, adapted to the various conditions of life. He 
was mainly instrumental in promulgating the know¬ 
ledge of Elkinson’s system of draining, and of its be¬ 
ing extensively adopted ; in inducing Davy to under¬ 
take his valuable work upon agricultural chemistry ; 
in instituting and giving efficacy to the Highland 
Agricultural Society; and in introducing to public 
notice McAdams’ improved system of road making. 
So late as 1815, the latter was first put into effec¬ 
tual practice, by the Bristol District of roads; and 
such was found to be its great utility, that now most 
of the principal roads in Great Britain have been re¬ 
constructed upon this admirable plan. He also pub¬ 
lished, after his Code of Agriculture had passed 
through the press, a Code of Statistical Philosophy, 
a Code of Finance, and had nearly prepared for pub¬ 
lication a Code or Digest of Religion. “We are in¬ 
formed,” says his biographer, “that in his introduc¬ 
tion to the proposed code, the writer proceeds upon 
the supposition that he had undertaken the instruction 
of an individual, who was either altogether unacquaint¬ 
ed with revealed religion, or who had imbibed very 
limited or erroneous views concerning it. The pupil 
is led through a system of progressive instruction. 
He is presented with a general view of human nature, 
comprehending, first, the corporeal frame, and, se¬ 
condly, the mental faculties of man—then, with an 
account of the globe, where the Creator has placed 
him—then, with that of the heavenly bodies, by which 
the earth is encompassed. Rising from nature, up to 
nature’s God, it was next intended, reverentially, to 
contemplate the being and attributes of Him by w r hom 
all things were made, and through whom all things 
live, move and have their existence. It was then in¬ 
tended to inquire, whether any revelation of the Di¬ 
vine will had ever been made to the human race, and, 
if so, where the best account of that revelation was 
to be found. It was intended that the work should 
conclude with an examination and explanation of the 
precepts and doctrines thus promulgated to man, to 
guide him in his conduct here, and lead him to the 
enjoyment of the promised happiness hereafter. The 
mass of mankind,” to continue our quotations from 
the work before us, “ who are misled by the tinsel of 
military glory, the superficial glitter of eloquence, or 
the accumulation of great wealth, are incapable of 
appreciating the silent effects of social improvements; 
but we confess, that if it were in our choice to select 
the path of glory, which wisdom and the better ex¬ 
perience of mankind will consecrate, we should pre¬ 
fer the distinctions arising from the useful and une¬ 
quivocal career of a Sinclair, to any renown attached 
to the splendid achievements of a Bonaparte, the fas¬ 
cinating eloquence of a Pitt, or the unmeasured wealth 
of a Baring.” 
In regard to the Code of Agriculture, as many of 
our readers cannot have had an opportunity of seeing 
it, we copy from the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture, 
a brief notice of its contents and arrangement, as 
useful to every class of farmers, in suggesting the 
points and the order in which the prominent matters 
in farming should engage their attention. 
“The first section of the Code of Agriculture is de¬ 
voted to the consideration of the preliminary points 
which a farmer should ascertain, before setting himself 
down to the cultivation of any considerable extent of 
land, particularly climate, soil, subsoil, elevation, as¬ 
pect, situation, tenure, (whether in property or on 
lease,) rent, assessments on, and size of farm. In the 
second section, inquiry is made regarding the means 
essential to secure niceness in farming, namely, capital, 
regular accounts, arrangement of agricultural labor, 
farm servants, labors in husbandry, live stock, imple¬ 
ments, agricultural buildings, command of water, divi¬ 
sions of fields and farm roads. In the third, the vari¬ 
ous modes of improving land are pointed out, by culti¬ 
vating wastes, enclosing, draining, manuring, paring 
and burning, fallowing, weeding, irrigating, flooding, 
warping and embanking land. The fourth section is 
devoted to the explanation of the various modes of 
occupying land, in arable culture, in grass, (including 
the dairy husbandry,) gardens and orchards, woods and 
* We, too, have cavillers, who scout at the idea of im¬ 
proving their practice, by book farming—by the examples of 
others, who excel in husbandry, and who bring their minds 
to aid in the improvement of the soil. 
