298 
€¢ Home’s Essay on Agriculture,” and find- 
ing that he could not understand the reason- 
tng far want of chemical knowledge, he im- 
mediately resolved to attend Cullen’s lectures 
on that science. Being very young, and un- 
aided by the countenance of any friend who 
could give him advice or introduce him to 
the world, he waited on Dr. Cullen, and ex- 
plained his views and intentions The doc- 
tor, considering it asa boyish whim, which 
might lead him away from his necessary pur- 
suits, at first endeavoured to dissuade him 
from the undertaking; but finding that our 
youth had fuily reflected on the subject, and 
adopted his resolution with a fixed determi- 
“gration to persevere init, he assented to the 
design; and as the penetration of that cele- 
brated man soon discovered the capacity and 
steadiness of his young pupil’s mind, ke not 
enly encouraged’ his present object, but be- 
came his sincere friend, caretully directed 
his future studies, ** listened with conde- 
écension to the arguments that were dictated 
by youth and inexperience, and patiently re- 
moved those difficulties that perplexed him.” 
Thus began a friendship and intimacy between 
them, which never ceased during the life of 
that eminent professor. With the assistance 
of such a patron, and with the natural ener- 
gies of his own understanding, it is not to be 
wvondered atthat he made rapid advances, not 
enly in chemistry but also in other branches 
of learning, which, as it were, grew out of 
this bis first academical: study; for the va- 
fious branches of science are so connected 
with each other, that, to a mind constituted 
Vike his, the attainment of information en 
ane constantly induce the desire of prosecu- 
ting others: and this takes place in an emi- 
ment degree at the university of Edinburgh, 
where the great attention and abilities of the 
professors, combined with the moderateness 
of the expence, have for many years afforded 
sematkable facilities and encouragement to 
the student. Atthe same time he did not 
neglect the duties of his farm, of which he 
wook the management upon himself about 
the age of fifteen, assisted by four older 
sisters; and he employed himself in the ex- 
efcise of his profession and his studies with 
eo much -assiduity for several years, that he 
barely allowed sufficient time for the repose 
vequired by nature. About this time Dr. 
Cullen delivered a course of lectures on agri- 
culture, in a private manner, to a few of his 
- friends and faveurite students, of which An- 
‘derson was the only one who’ took notes. 
Many years afterwards a copy of these notes 
. . was surreptitiously obtained from him, and, 
mueh to his astonishment, advertised for 
publication as Cullen’s Lectures on Agricul- 
ture. Dr. Anderson felt so much for his late 
friend’s reputation on the prospect of his boy- 
ish notes heing published asa complete set of 
Jectures, that his friends never observed him 
- suffer more ufeasiness or vexatiow on any 
ether occasion; and he exerted himself so 
Account of the late Dr. James Anderson. 
[April f, 
strenuously in representing to the public the 
unavoidable faultiness of the intended publi- 
cation, and the fraudulent circumstances at- 
tending it, that the mercenary promoters of 
it weré constrained to abandon the design.* 
Among the frst things he did upon his farm, 
was to introduce jor the first time the small 
two-horse plough, now in universal use over 
the greater part of Scotland, and particularly 
in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, where 
thé land is cultivated to a degree of perfec- 
tien almost incredible. In eftecting this im~ 
provement, he found considerable difficulty 
In overcoming the prejudices of his servants. 
His friends soon perceiving that his ardour in 
the pursuit of literary knowledge was not to 
be controuled, suggested a medical profession 
as the most advisable for him to follew; but. 
to this he took a dislike, and could never be 
reconciled to it: he therefore determined to 
prosecute his original line of life. After 
having occupied Hetmiston for a few years, 
he quitted it as a place that did not possess a 
sufficient field for his encerprizing mind, and 
took a long lease of a large farm in the wilds 
of Aberdeenshire, consisting of about 1300 
acres of land almost in a state of nature. 
This vast undertaking was entered upon be- 
fore he was of age, the execution of the lease 
_ having been deterred tiil that period arrived, 
In the midst of the difficulties he had te con- 
tend with in bringing this. tract into cultiva- 
tion; which were very great, arising chiefly 
from the badness or total want of roads, the 
remote distance from markets, and the pre- 
cariousness of the climate: he began his career 
as an author with his Essays on Pianting, 
é&c. first printed in the year 1771, in the, 
Edinburgh Weekly Magazine, under the 
signature of Agricola, and again published 
separately in i774. The first edition of his 
Essays on Agricuiture, Observations on Na- 
tional Industry, and several. others of his 
early writings were composed during a resi- 
dence of more than twenty years at Monks. 
hill, the name of the above-mentioned farm. 
In 1768, at the age of twenty-nine, our au- 
thor married. Miss Seton, of Mounie, a de- 
scendant of the ancient and noble house of 
Winton, who brought him thirteen children: 
by this marriage the estate of Mounie; in 
Aberdeenshire, came into bis possession, and. 
still remains in the family. His merits as 
an author having become generally known, 
and his ab:lities ‘as a practical farmer being 
acknowledged, his acquaintance and corre- 
Spondence began to be courted by men of 
letters throughout the kingdom, and his 
society sought by persons of the first respec- 
tability in his own neighbourhood. Jn the 
year 1780 the honorary degrees of A.M. and 
LL.D. were conferred upon him by the Uni- 
yersity of Aberdeen, not only without solici- 
tation on his part, but before any commu- 
* See his opinions on this transaction in 
his Recreations, vol, ii. p. 252. - . 
oA tion 
