culture against a copy of my Statistical Account of Scotland.

Soon after, I wrote Mr Young, that I was to have a conversation with Mr Pitt upon the subject, and that he would certainly lose his bet. Mr Young, in his answer, dated 10th Ja"You are going To Mr Pitt, and I am to

nuary 1793, said,

lose the wager. When you come FROм Mr Pitt, I shall win the wager. Pray, don't give Ministers more credit than they deserve. In manufactures and commerce you may bet securely; but they never did, and never will do any thing for the plough. Your Board of Agriculture will be in the moon; if on earth, remember I am to be secretary."

After many delays, in consequence of the pressure of public affairs at that time, the question at last came on, and was carried by a large majority; and I had the satisfaction of announcing my success to Mr Young, and of informing him, at the same time, that I had him in view for the office of Secretary. Though he lost his bet, therefore, Mr Young nevertheless sent a set of his Annals to the binder, having had much pleasure in presenting a copy of them to the President of the new Board. His astonishment at my success appears

from the following letter:

May 19. 1793.

Upon my word you are a very fine fellow, and I have drank your health in bumpers more than once. You begin to tread on land; and what I conceived to be perfectly aerial, seems much less problematical than before. Premiums might be made to do much good; but they would demand another thousand to the sum you propose.

Let me have your speech fully and directly; and, if you establish a Secretary on a respectable footing, do not forget the farmer at Bradfield. I am, Dear Sir, your faithful and obliged, A. YOUNG.

The Annals are preparing, and shall be bound and gilt handsomely.

Mr Young and I went on very cordially together, as President and Secretary of the Board. He thought that the county reports would never be completed; but, in a letter, dated 30th December 1808, he congratulated me on having finished so immense a work, which he believed no other person would have gone through, from the great labour which it required. When Mr Young died, he left behind him a work, to which the name of the "Elements of Agriculture," had been given. He had been collecting the materials for above forty years; and it was founded, not only on his own inquiries and experience, but on the examination of all the most valuable books that had been printed on the subject. He flattered himself that it would have produced a handsome sum for the benefit of his family; but every negociation for that purpose was unsuccessful. At my earnest request the manuscripts were sent to Edinburgh, for the purpose of my ascertaining in what manner the work was executed; and how far it was desirable to have it printed. From that examination, I am thoroughly convinced that it would be in the highest degree beneficial to agriculture to have the work published; and that a public grant for that purpose, to the amount of such a sum as £.1500, (which would be sufficient for the purpose), could not be better bestowed. It would be a pity that so much labour, on an object of such high importance as the improvement of agriculture, should be totally lost, when so small a sum would rescue it from that oblivion to which it must otherwise be destined.

8.-WILLIAM MARSHALL, ESQ.

Among the numerous writers on agriculture, who flourished in the course of the last century, there is none whose merits stand higher than those of Mr Marshall. He was remarkably intelligent and judicious; but unfortunately it was hardly possible to keep up any lasting intercourse with him,

from the defects of his temper. His descriptions of "The Rural Economy of the several Districts in England" are highly valuable; but he was extremely indignant at "The County Reports" I had set on foot, as likely to interfere with his publications. He therefore published a most violent attack upon them, which I was glad he did, as it explained both their defects and their merits. When he died, I was extremely anxious to have any works printed that he had left behind him unpublished, but the attempt (as will afterwards appear) proved unsuccessful.

Having proposed to Mr Marshall that he should undertake a survey of our Scottish husbandry, I received, in return, the following communication:

SIR,

Pickering, (Yorkshire), 7th Dec. 1790.

I embrace the earliest opportunity of acknowledging myself highly sensible of the honour you have done me in your letter of the 29th ult.

The Society you are establishing for the preservation and improvement of British wool, appears to me of the first consequence to the lasting prosperity of this nation; and it would give me great satisfaction to be instrumental in forwarding so desirable a design, in any way compatible with my own undertaking. But, Sir, the intimation you are pleased to throw out, is such as I cannot conceive to be applicable to myself, while Dr Anderson is so superiorly calculated to preclude my endeavours.

The queries you have been so good as to send me, I have perused with pleasure, as they appear to form a broad foundation on which to erect your patriotic work.

In regard to my northern survey, I have to thank you very much, Sir, for the hint you have dropt. I have no doubt of the liberality and public spirit of the gentlemen of North Britain; but a subscription is among the last experiments I could persuade myself to use toward the completion of my design.

Nevertheless, rather than forego the advantage of obtaining a knowledge of the husbandry of Scotland, I may hereafter attempt a means of that nature. The past autumn I spent in West Kent, chiefly with a view to the management of hops; and Lord Egremont has honoured me with an invitation into Sussex, which it is probable I shall visit next spring, and endeavour to complete a survey of the southern counties, before I enter upon that of the northern provinces.

Should a fresh disposition of circumstances take place, I will do myself the honour of apprising you. I am, with the greatest respect, Sir, your obliged most humble servant, WILLIAM MARSHALL.

Upon hearing of Mr Marshall's death, (which happened in 1818), and ascertaining the name and abode of his executor, I immediately wrote to him to know, whether Mr Marshall had left any papers behind him fit for publication, and what would be the best plan of having them published, to which I received the following reply :

SIR,

In answer to your polite letter of the 12th, I am sorry to inform you, that the last illness of my late relative Mr Marshall, (of whom you speak so handsomely), was of so painful a nature, that he was not able to give any directions respecting his unpublished works. I have looked over part of his MSS., but have not found one on a general work on agriculture, in a state of forwardness yet; but am in hopes of doing so, as I have found some detached pieces, which appear to be rough sketches of parts of such a work, which he certainly always had an intention of composing.

We intend to print every thing that may be likely to be of service to the public. I have the honour to be, Sir, your very obedient servant,

Pickering, 29th Oct. 1819.

W. WELLS.

9.-DR ERASMUS DARWIN.

It was highly gratifying to me, to have prevailed on so able a writer as the celebrated Dr Darwin, the author of Zoonomia, and of the Botanic Garden, to draw up a work on Practical Agriculture.

His "Phytologia, or the Philosophy of Agriculture and Gardening," is a most valuable performance. In it will be found a number of useful observations of a practical nature; in particular, he is one of the first authors who recommended bone-dust as a manure: but, on the whole, it is of too philosophic a description to be calculated for general use. Before the work was published, he sent me the following letter, accompanied with a sketch of his intended dedication:

SIR,

Derby, Nov. 8. 1797.

I have employed the vacant hours which I could command, in writing a theory on vegetation, applied to agriculture and gardening. The work has proceeded but slowly, and it will yet be some months before I shall think I have sufficiently studied it, to commit it to the press. I believe it will make two volumes octavo *. I hope you will permit me to prefix the inclosed dedication to you; as without your instigation, I should not have attempted it.

In respect to a society to collect medical facts, I dare say it might be a very useful institution, if managed with that activity and address which you have so laudably exerted in the Agricultural Society. I am, Sir, with great respect, your much obliged and obedient servant,

It was printed in one vol. 4to, an. 1800.

E. DARWIN.