Catalogue of English Authors on Agriculture, Gardening, &c. By a Country Gentleman. 8vo. 6 s. bound. Hooper. 1769.

TH

HE Author of these Tracts is Mr. Wefton, of whose Univerfal Botanif we gave fome account in our Review for February laft.-The publication now before us has been longer in print than his botanical work; but, through fome accident, it escaped our notice at the time of its first appearance.

Mr. Wefton having laid down a pofition, in which we agree with him, that country gentlemen have the chances of ten to one against them if they meddle with the culture of corn;' he advises them, if they must ufe the plough, to pursue the Tullian husbandry. In this, however, we cannot agree with him, as we apprehend men begin every day to awaken more and more from the dream of profit by that practice.

He advises men of his own clafs chiefly to apply to raifing crops of lucerne, cabbages, and even flowers, garden ftuff, and especially garden-feeds; and explains the great profit which London gardeners make of their ground.

We acknowledge that bad garden-feeds are ufually fold, as well those imported from abroad, as thofe which are grown at home, and that good ones would fetch an higher price, and be fure of a conftant demand. But we apprehend that the confant attention of the mafter's eye, which is necessary to raise fuccefsful crops of corn, and which he complains of as intolerable, would be equally neceffary in raifing garden feeds. The crops of lucerne, cabbages, &c. are liable to this objection. But as to raifing garden ftuff, befides the above great objection, there is something illiberal in the notion of a Gentleman's finking into the character of a common Gardener; and it is obvious, also, that such a practice could not be successful, except in the environs of the capital, or fome very confiderable city or town at leaft, where, after all, he muft have the market-gardeners, as rivals, to contend with.

Thus much may fuffice with regard to the contents of chapters 1, 4, 5, and 6.

The project of raifing mulberry trees, for feeding filk-worms, does honour to the memory of James the Firft; and the attempt of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, &c. towards the propagating that tree, has a right to our praife: but Mr. W.'s 2d chapter informs us, on this fubject, little further than that the gardener to whom they directed the candidates for their premium to apply, could not furnish one candidate with a fufficient number of plants.

The 3d chapter feems to fhew that the Dutch method of training and pruning fruit trees is inferior to the English.

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Mr.

Mr. W.'s 7th chapter is defigned to convince the country gentleman that he may have a ftove at much lefs expence than is ufually imagined. But Mr. W. fhews that, in a small one, above 1001. must be funk, and that the annual expence is very confiderable; yet if he can produce early fruit, and sell it to foreign Ambaffadors, &c. he may get money.

The 8th chapter teaches how to force peas, afparagus, and melens, in a pit, at a very great expence, which however may, perhaps, be repaid by fale.

The 9th chapter recounts molt forts of manures in England, and fpecifies their uses; in which, however, we can discover little or nothing new. We only presume to make two short remarks: 1ft, That if bufh-wood will make a fire fufficiently hot to burn clay, it may make a profitable manure: and, 2dly, We know, by experience, that coal afhes will bring up the white as well as, or better than, the red clover, on fome clays.

Among the rational hints for improving of parks (in Mr. W.'s 10th chapter) we cannot acquiefce in the bringing of a larger fort of deer, till the feed is improved. There is not a more evident truth, than that ftock of all kinds degenerates or improves according to the foil on which they feed;' and that 'tis a grofs mistake to bring flock on to worfe land, efpecially to feed. We applaud, however, improving the feed, by fowing of grafs-feeds which improve mutton.-We wish that the fact, whether fheep and deer eat wild thyme,' were afcertained: it would then be foon enough to have recourfe to the hypothefis of its improving mutton and venifon by its fcent. Planting of cabbages, &c. is certainly a good method of keeping more deer in winter.

Our Author rates the value of a buck from 41, to 61. If there be no doubt that this is too high, yet, when we confider how much more this animal confumes than a fheep, and how many years he is kept, we fhall not haftily conclude, with Mr. W. that the profit, at whatever price the carcafe is fold, exceeds that annual one of an ewe, viz. 10 s. by wool and Jamb.

Probably the expence and profit of a fish-pond might, if fcrutinized, be equally liable to objections; and the substituting of kid for houfe-lamb feems to be a fancy; or if it could be reduced to fact, it must be confined to very narrow bounds.

The fcheme of profit, by an artificial warren (which employs all chapter 11) feems a mere amufement, unless the dung be more valuable than we can easily imagine.

The improvement of fome garden utenfils and tools (as a cart to be drawn by men, and taken off the wheels and clapt on a roller; femi-circular fpades to take up flowers, and even

trees;

trees; a wooden machine to lay out ferpentine walks expeditiously, &c. &c.) feem to have fome ufe, and fill no long chapter, viz. the 12th.

In chapter 13th Mr. W. gives us a defcription of the bridge called Sans Pareil, or two bridges croffing each other, about 20 feet broad and 22 feet from the furface of the water. This bridge is thrown over the croffing of the canals from Ardres to Gravelines, and from St. Omer's to Calais. The abutments are on the four necks of land betwixt the canals, so that, when on the centre of the bridge, you may take four ways. Without fuch a contrivance to effect this purpose, you must have had four bridges. Mr. W. wonders, and juftly, that no travellers have hitherto defcribed this bridge. He alfo describes a kind of float of boats, with fcythes fo faftened to poles, that the weeds in the canals are eafily cut up by them. In this chapter alfo Mr. W. justly obferves, that the example of the French, who make their foldiers work on the cutting of canals in the neighbourhood of the country here fpoken of, deferves our imitation; and hopes that many of our nobility will imitate the Duke of Bridgewater's princely undertaking. Mr. W. recommends, juftly enough, as we want hands, the imitation of the Dutch, who carry on many manufactures, efpecially fawing of timber, by mills. He thinks alfo that the convenient and cheap manner of travelling in barges in Flanders, might be imitated in many parts of England. But would not this fcheme. fuin many turnpike roads, for the fupport of which, money is lent on public faith?

In the 14th chapter Mr. W. affures his Reader, that whoever fees the public roads abroad, planted with trees, will be convinced, that the objection to this improvement arifing from the fuppofal of the road's being kept wet by the trees, is nothing. He wifely advifes the planting of quick growing trees, and mentions the furprifing profit from an acre fet with Norfolk or Dutch willow.

We agree with Mr. W. in his obfervation, that the almost total impoffibility of a gentleman's profiting by farming, is a ftrong inducement to plant.

Mr. W. proposes to employ a gardener in every county, to raise trees, to plant the turnpike roads with oaks and elms, and the banks of rivers and canals with aquatics; and he prefumes that in a series of years the debts on the roads may be paid off.

We wish that this calculation may not be far too favourable to be verified by fact. We think particularly that the expence of guarding the trees when planted, and repairing the deficiencies of trees deftroyed, would be found very confiderable.

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However,

However, Mr. W. has the authority of the excellent Mr. Harte for a county-nurseryman.

The 15th chapter contains ufeful tables to fhew how many trees, at a given distance, will stock an acre.

The 16th gives rules for fattening of fowls; but (as Mr. W. owns) without regard to frugality (fee p. 171.) viz. fowls by rice and fugar, geefe and ducks by ground malt, and turkeys by whole walnuts, encreafing and then decreasing the quantity. -N. B. The Society for Encouragement of Arts, &c. propofe a golden medal for the beft method.

Chapter 17th explains a propofal (but an expenfive one) of having orange and lemon trees fet in open earth, and covered with a cafe of wood and glafs in winter, with fire of charr'd peat, &c.

Chapter 18th recommends, as the most effectual method of making the cuttings and layers of tender trees grow, to cover them with hand-glaffes, and fet the pots in tan.

Chapter 19th opens with very probable opinions, 1ft, That the greater part of our brewed wines, fold for genuine foreign, are raised from cyder and fugar; 2dly, That much perry is fuld for Champaigne, and currant wine for red Champaigne and red Burgundy; 3dly, That an infufion of elder flowers imitates Frontiniac; 4thly, That Smyrna raifins, with brandy and cloves, will refemble Madeira; 5thly, That white currant wine, with brandy, refembles white port, with clary, rhenish, and (when old) hock, and with Lisbon fugar, when old, fack; 6thly, Malaga raifins make a wine much refembling Lisbon and Mountain. He notes that honey clarified has a good effect in imitating foreign wines, and that white wines may be turned into red by an infufion of turnfole, fyrup of floes, elderberries, and mulberries. He then makes an extract from a very fcarce book, " England's Intereft; or, the Farmer's Friend," in praife of cyder-royal, which, on experience, we pronounce to be excellent. From the fame book Mr. W. quotes a paffage to fhew the advantage of planting a field with apple-trees, currant-trees, and gooseberry-trees. Mr. W.'s own method of making wine, by putting 3 cwt. of Malaga raifins (only the grofs ftalks picked out) to about 65 gallons of loft water, and flirring them for about 14 days in a mafh tub, we can avouch to be a good one, on experience.

The 20th chapter gives the method of making ftarch of potatoes, which is pretty well known. But from a memoir in the Swedish Academy, Mr. W. informs us, that an acre, fet with potatoes, will afford more brandy, than if fet with barley.

Chapter 21ft advifes to improve cucumbers, by nailing them, against a wall, and otherwife raifing them from the ground.

The

The 22d chapter recommends (from an Effay published in Dublin) the rearing of calves by hay-water; a method long known, and which cannot fail of fuccefs.

Chapter 23d recommends planting of larches, firs, poplars, and willows, on barren lands, of which he gives inftances; and fiews, by experiments, that the ftrength of timber is increased. by barking the trees while standing: nay, that the sap of barked trees exceeds the heart of others in ftrength.

The 24th chapter contains advice to improve the quantity and flavour of milk about London, by giving the cows burnet, lucerne, cabbage, turneps and carrots, and adds teftimonies in favour of all these.

The laft chapter propofes to deftroy infects on plants, by putting drugs which will kill them, in the phials of electrical machines.

Mr. W.'s work is closed by a very curious lift of (with fome remarks on) our old English writers on agriculture, gardening, and botany, continued down to the time of publishing this work. As Mr. W. is very candid in judging of his fellow writers, he deferves therefore to be treated with candour; and we doubt not that his next volume will be written with a pen fomewhat more correct.

ART. XI. A Course of Experimental Agriculture. Containing an exact Register of all the Bufinefs transacted, during five Years; viz. from 1702 to 1767, on near 300 Acres of various Soils, including a Variety of Experiments on the Cultivation of all Sorts of Grain and Pulfe, both in the old and new Methods. The raifing large Crops of Turnips, Cabbages, Carrots, Potatoes, Sc. and feveral Plants not afually cultivated as Food For Cattle, and the Application of them to the feeding or fattening of Oxen, Cows, Horfes, Hogs, Sheep, &c. Aljo the Management of the artificial Graffes, particularly Clover, Lucerne, Sainfoine, Burnet, &c. in the broadcast, drilling, and tranfplanting Methods; and their Ufes in feeding feveral Sorts of Cattle. The Culture of Madder. A particular Comparison between the old and new Hufbandry. The Management of Pafture Lands. On Ploughing, Harrowing, and other Operations of Tillage, relative to the Seafon, Number, Depth, &c. On the general feeding and fattening of Cattle, on various Articles of Food; the Expences, Profit, Quantity eat, &c. The Implements of Husbandry, their Defects, Improvements, &c. With other Subjects of Importance to the Country Gentleman and Farmer. The Whole demonstrated in near 2000 original Experiments. By Arthur Young, Efq; Author of The Farmer's Letters, and Tours to the Southern and Northern Counties, &c. &c. 2 Vols. 4to, 21. 10s. (Review continued.)

T

HE firft fection of Book I. Chap. I. contains experiments on the culture of wheat in the old husbandry.