Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 69, No. 427, May, 1851Various
General
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 69, No. 427, May, 1851
Various
England -- Periodicals; Scotland -- Periodicals
Without stopping to trace the history of British Agriculture, we
venture to offer an opinion which we believe will be acquiesced in
by those most familiar with the subject--that, while modern times
have contributed not a little to our knowledge of the principles and
theory of agriculture, they have done infinitely more to advance the
improvement of the practice of agriculture.[9] We say so, without at
all intending to disparage the discoveries of Chemistry and Vegetable
Physiology. From these sources we expect much more important services,
in advancing the art of husbandry, than certainly they have ever yet
rendered.
[9] Those acquainted with the writings of Tull, Arthur Young, Marshall,
and Elkington, must know that, although not exempt from errors, they
evolved the leading principles of a right agriculture. Indeed, we would
seem almost to be recovering only the lost principles and practices of
the Roman farmers of old. They seem to have known the mode of manuring
ground by penning sheep upon it--nay, what will astonish Mr Mechi,
they practised the plan of feeding them in warm and sheltered places
with sloping and carefully prepared floors, upon barley and leguminous
seeds, hay, bran, and salt. They knew the advantage of a complete
pulverisation of the soil, and the necessity of deep ploughing. Their
drainage was deep, and if Palladius does not mislead us, they seem
in certain cases to have employed earthenware or tile-drains. But
to those who wish to know more of Roman husbandry, and who may not
have leisure or opportunity to consult the originals, we have great
pleasure in recommending Professor Ramsay's (of Glasgow) paper entitled
"Agricultura," in the last edition of _Smith's Dictionary of Greek and
Roman Antiquities_,--an admirable specimen of condensed erudition.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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