from a single specimen of the Notitia prefixed to the instructions for each month.

JANUARY.

The general course of business upon a farm, during the present month, is as follows: Threshing-Superintendance of Cattle-Cartage of Manure or Earth-Road Work-Making or repairing FencesDraining-Repairs of any kind befitting the Season-Saring and preparing Timber for Use-Destruction of Vermin, or, in short, any useful Application of the Servants and Team, in order to profit by the opportunity of all tillage being at a stand.'

In the section of the Calendar which exhibits the work required in June, the author shews his wish of having no time lost during the season of ingathering; and he therefore endeavours to encourage farmers to work, at hay and harvest-time, on Sundays: observing that there is an old law still in force on our statute book, permitting the farmer, at these seasons, to make use of the seventh day. As this statute is not mentioned in Burn, (the book generally consulted in the country,) the writer should have given a particular reference to it.

The notices relative to the months of July and August contain hints to young farmers not to think of penny-wise saugs in time of harvest, as these may prove pound-foolishness;' and moreover 'to agree with their mowers and reapers, both at hay and harvest time, to finish their work by cutting down all the weeds in the hedge rows.'

The remaining part of the volume, which is a compilation from other agricultural works, combined with the author's own observation and experience, abounds with useful hints and remarks under the following heads-Hiring and stocking Farms -Soils and Manures-Implements of Husbandry,-Draining, Fencing-Farm-Yard, Form, and Management-VerminIrrigation and Warping-Woods and Plantations-Tillage and Fallowing Drill Husbandry Dibbling Seed-BlightsCourse of Crops-Cattle Crops-Winter preservation of roots, &c.-Meadow and Pasture-Live Stock, Breeding, and Improvement-Horses, Neat Cattle, Sheep, Swine, Rabbits, Poultry, &c.

Of gentleman-farming, and on the new husbandry, the author thus writes:

In the conduct of the farming business, it has always been the fashion to lay much stress on the difference between the gentleman and the labouring farmer, and to allow a decided superiority to the latter, nay, even to deny all possibility of the former deriving profit from the practice of husbandry. The matter has been improperly. stated. Nothing can be more true, than that the man, whether gentleman or farmer, who determines to remain ignorant of his busi

ness, and who indolently suffers himself to be cheated through the nose, will have a fair chance to be everlastingly unsuccessful. But grant the gentleman a moderate portion of the science of agriculture, and a decent competency of activity and resolution, and I conceive the balance will preponderate even heavily on his side, whatever may be the quantity of lands, from a cabbage-garden, to a farm of a thousand acres. The personal labour, and superintendance, of the meer common farmer, in the old beaten track, can never stand in competition with the advantages of the new husbandry, of the most productive kinds of live stock, of an ample portion of manure, and of the garden cleanness of the hoe-culture.

Agriculture viewed in a trading light, perhaps makes as ample a return for the use of money, as any domestic concern whatever; and although such be not the general custom, it is easy enough of proof, that very great capitals, to the amount of twenty, thirty, or forty thousand pounds, and upwards, might be safely and prosperously employed upon an extensive farm. The cultivator of two thousand acres, who should fully stock according to the principles of the new husbandry, breed and fat his own cattle, consuming all his springcorn at home; bacon his hogs, and meal his own wheat, would find occasion for sums of very high account. His articles being all those of the first necessity, and being without the obligation of allowing credit, the profits would be more certain, and the risks less, than in any mercantile concern.

In what consists the new husbandry, so often quoted by agricultural writers, without a definition ?-In allotting certain portions of an arable farm to the purpose of summer and winter feeding a stock of cattle, sufficient with their dung to manure and fertilize the whole of the land. In the eradicating, as far as possible, all useless vegetation with the hoe. In the use of the various improved, or newly invented implements, for the purpose of expediting, or abridging labour, and in the judicious selection of domestic animals.

The usage of the old husbandry, (too generally prevalent indeed at this hour) is to place very little dependance on the profit of live stock, to feed very few, excepting those animals absolutely neces sary for labour; to reject the hoe-culture, perhaps altogether, to foul the land by repeated corn-crops, and to clean it partially and insufficiently, by summer-fallows, or seed it in its foul state, for a temporary ley.'

The author opposes the doctrine of Fallowing, supported by Mr. Boys and Mr. Pitt in their County Surveys, (see Rev. vol. xxxi. p. 29.) and he contends that the earth requires no rest, but rather exercise and good nourishment.' P. 326. Though, however, this be a good principle generally to inculcate, it may not be wise universally to apply it. In these and other matters, farmers must feel their way.

Under the head of Course of Crops, it is observed, that man follows the best course, who drains, pulverizes, and cleans his land, keeping it in constant heart with animal manure; and that

the main point in farming, never to be forgotten, is to grow winter-provision adequate to the support of such a stock of cattle, as with their dung will keep the farm in constant good heart.'

More than a hundred pages are employed in describing the Nature and Management of Domestic Animals or Live Stock. Here the author presumes on his experience, speaks as it were ex cathedra, and talks of orthodoxy and anathema,' and of ⚫ certain points, out of the pale of which, no animal should be saved.' Passing over such language and such allusions in an agricultural treatise, we shall content ourselves with copying his marks of goodness of shape:

General symmetry and barmony of parts; that is to say, an equal and proportional union of length, depth, and substance;—the head not large, or long, but neatly shaped-eyes full and clear;-neck not long, but inclining to thinness, decreasing, or tapering towards the head;-chest wide and full;" -legs by no means long, fore ones straight, the shanks clean and fine ;feet even and sound, the toes turned neither in nor out ;-girth deep ;-back and loins straight and broad-Belly capacious, without swagging ;quarters deep and capacious, the flesh reaching down to the hocks, from which, the legs forming an angle, the feet will stand sufficiently under the loins ;-distance as great, at least, between the hinder as fore feet.'

For the comment on this text, and for many other useful ideas relative to breeding and choosing cattle, we must refer to the work itself; which is written with as much sprightliness as can be desired in a farming book, and with not a few of the ' agricultural vulgarisms; such as, no more worse than nothing at all,' cheating through the nose, and, dunging to the tune of 40 loads per acre,' &c. The author talks, moreover, of the farmer's daily or weekly bible-excursions; by which, perhaps, he would express (aukwardly enough) the farmer's reading of his

bible.

A ground Plan of a Farm Yard fronts the title, but its value is diminished by its not being made to any scale.

ART. VI. The History of Berwick upon Tweed, including a short Account of the Villages of Tweedmouth and Spittal, &c. By John Fuller, M. D. Berwick. 8vo. pp. 670. 7s. 6d. Boards; (on fine Paper, 10s. 6d.) Butterworth, &c. London. 1799.

'HIS work is dedicated to Sir John Sinclair, on whose sta

THIS

tistical account of Scotland the author bestows the most unqualified praise. He seems, indeed, in this history of Berwick, to wish to follow Sir John's example; and from a comprehensive view of the former and present state of the agriculture and commerce of his native town, to propose what he conceives to be the best means of improving both, and 'of pro

moting the real happiness of the inhabitants, by directing their attention to those objects in which they are most deeply interested. This design is no doubt truly benevolent and patriotic: but surely it was not necessary, in order to impress on the reader's mind the importance and utility of agriculture, to give an account of man in a savage state; nor to present us with various other observations which here occur, and which seem to originate in the professional bias of the author's ideas.

The new system of education, which Dr. Fuller recommends for our farmers, will appear rather singular: but it is worthy of consideration:

When we contemplate the faculty which our incomprehensible store-house of ideas and of knowledge possesses, in that the more it receives and lays up, its capacity and desire for receiving more, especially if the matter be pure and instructive, increases in proportion, and the powers of retention are thereby enlarged and strengthened; our souls are filled with astonishment and a soothing awe. The husbandman ought, in his turn, to go into the schools, and taking up the pen and compasses, make himself master of the elements of mathematics, with their application to mechanics; he must afterwards resort to the chemical elaboratory, where, plying diligently until he acquires a thorough knowledge of the most essential doctrines of chemistry, let him attend the academical chair on agriculture in the University of Edinburgh; after all which, he will return to the culture of the earth furnished with a stock of geometrical and chemical information, which, being founded on certain data, standing the test of demonstrative proof, he will thereby be enabled scientifically to comprehend the construction and powers of all the utensils used in husbandry, and by which he will be enabled to add to their improvement. By chemical analysis it will be greatly in his power to evolve and discover the nature and properties of which the different soils are composed, and also the chemical principles of all the various manures. From these acquisitions, and the knowledge he will derive from the professor's lectures, he will thence be enabled to determine what manures are adapted to certain soils, and in what proportions they ought to be used. By all which, combined with the knowledge to be derived from experience, he will then find himself capable of forming a more fixed and regular system, founded on the principles of consistency and truth, which must lead to a more successful practice of farming.'

As the Doctor seems to be a friend to learning, he will not accuse us of pedantry, if we observe that Xenophon in his Qeconomics appears to entertain very different sentiments of the education, manners, and habits of a farmer, in the fine character which he has drawn of Ischomachus: but we do not mean to say that the opinions of Xenophon, on this subject, should be the opinions of these days.

Dr.

Dr. Fuller next assigns ten causes for the slow progress that has been made in the science of agriculture, until of late years:but he omits one which has been considered by some able writers as the most important;-the preference that has been given to manufactures in many states of Europe, particularly in France during the administration of Colbert. As we have not leisure to examine this intricate subject as it deserves, we shall proceed to the next chapter; which contains an account of the situation and extent of the town, with a description of the scenery of the neighbourhood. The most pleasing part of the description may be found in the following extract:

The luxuriant verdure of the banks of the Tweed and adjoining fields, together with Spring Gardens, enrich and embellish this interesting piece of scenery.

These gardens are situated about half a mile from the farther extremity of the suburb of the town, and stretch along the steep banks of the north side of the river. They enjoy much of the genial warmth of the sun from their so completely facing that animating luminary. From whatever quarter these Gardens are viewed in the vernal and summer months, the several little clumps of planting, which are irregularly interspersed through them, some being situated on projecting eminences, and others shooting forth their exuberant foliage, from natural excavations, impart to the whole a considerable degree of rural simplicity, and no small share of a romantic and picturesque appearance.

The scenery of this district of the Tweed will, in the course of a few years, derive much additional richness and ornament from those plantations which have lately been made by Sir Francis Blake, from the banks at New Water Haugh along the side of the river, and which extend nearly to those young plantings situated on the west side of Spring Gardens. Hallydown Hill, famous in the history of Berwick, is distinctly seen from many parts of the walls and the immediate vicinity of the town, being distant from it two miles north by west. This eminence fully commands the whole of the town and quay: were the top of it planted with trees, it would become an useful object, as it would afford an excellent land-mark for ships at sea, and would also greatly heighten the scenery of the neighbourhood. The rich inclosed fields intervening between Tweedmouth and Ord House, through which there is a pleasant foot road leading to the village of East Ŏrd, look beautiful and enlivening viewed from the ramparts and other plaçes of the town.

In looking down the river, either from Spring Gardens or the Old Castle, we are presented with a scene truly picturesque and captivating, composed of the Bridge with its fifteen arches, several windings of the Tweed, most part of Berwick, and all Tweedmouth and Spittal. Standing in either of these situations, and extending the view farther in the same direction, we distinctly behold Holy Island, with its castle, situated at the extremity of the bay, about ten miles distant by sea, and twelve by land. In a clear day, we plainly REV. OCT. 1800. perceive

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