6.--THE RIGHT HON. SIR JOSEPH BANKS, BART. P. R. S.

He

There are few men who were more fortunate in life, than Sir Joseph Banks. He was born with a vigorous constitution,-inherited a large fortune,-possessed a great fund of good sense, had a turn for business, and was capable of going through much mental, as well as personal labour. had directed his particular attention to botany, and though not deeply conversant with any other branch of science, yet, in that department, he was highly distinguished. When elected President of the Royal Society, he became a kind of centre to the literature of the country, and under his auspices the Society flourished. He wisely resolved not to meddle with politics, which would have procured him some lukewarm friends, but a number of violent enemies. He was hostile to the idea of establishing a Board of Agriculture, thinking, perhaps, that it might interfere with the pursuits of the Royal Society, in whose Transactions some papers on agriculture had been inserted; but I recommended his being appointed a member officially, as President of the Royal Society, being persuaded, that he would view the Board, when the measures I had in contemplation were acted upon, in a favourable light. He, in fact, became a very useful member, and was quite delighted with the connexion which he was thus enabled to form with the Duke of Bedford, and other eminent agriculturists, with whom otherwise he had no prospect of being acquainted. The following letter is a sufficient proof, both of his zeal for botany, and of the interest he took in the proceedings of the Board of Agriculture.

MY DEAR SIR JOHN,

Many thanks for your Address, which I laid on my table last night, very much to the satisfaction of my friends, who seemed pleased to find that the Board has been so actively employed this last season.

I grieve I have not been able to attend oftener; but I have had a season more than usually full of employment, having this winter looked over, and put names to two vast collections of plants, the one brought from China, by Lord Macartney, the other from the north-west coast of America, by a botanist of your country, sent by Government for the sole purpose improving natural history.

of

I sincerely wish you all pleasure during the vacation, and all success to your undertakings, being, with real esteem and regard, your faithful humble servant,

May 30. 1796,
Spring Grove.

Jos. BANKS.

At his desire, I drew up an account of the Husbandry of Scotland, a work on which the subjoined letter contained a very satisfactory encomium; and I was glad to find that he likewise approved much of the plan on which I proposed to prepare "A Code of Agriculture."

MY DEAR SIR JOHN,

Ravesby Abbey, Oct. 13. 1819.

I rejoice to learn, from your favour of the 9th, that you have pitched your tents in my neighbourhood; that I shall sometimes see you in London, and oftener, I trust, while I am at Spring Grove, where I always reside during the three best months in the year.

I rejoice to hear that your Scottish Agriculture has met with so extensive a sale. The adoption of it in England will probably be the consequence, and a more beneficial one can scarce be conceived. That a Scots farmer can get more crop from the earth than an English one, seems a fact not to be disputed. To have been the cause of imparting to Englishmen, the skill of Scots farmers, is indeed a proud recollection.

A Code of Agriculture from your hands will be an agreeable present to the public. No one has so much experience

in the theory of husbandry as yourself. No one, therefore, is so able to lay down the most approved modes of practice. Adieu, my Dear Sir John. Always faithfully yours,

JOSEPH BANKS.

I wished much to prevail upon Sir Joseph to leave behind him some decisive proof of his zeal for literature; and with this view suggested, that he should leave his house in Soho Square, his library, and an income of £.1000 per annum to his successor in the Presidency of the Royal Society, provided he was not a member of either House of Parliament. Such a bequest would not have been a material deduction from his large property, and would have been of immense use to science; but I could not prevail upon him to adopt a plan which would have been productive of the most useful consequences.

7.—ARTHUR YOUNG, ESQ. SECRETARY TO THE Board of

AGRICULTURE.

Mr Young had devoted himself, for a great number of years, to the pursuits of agriculture, both in its literary and practical departments. He found, however, that the two branches were hardly compatible; for, while he was running about collecting information for his intended publications, the management of his farm was neglected; and, though he got a great deal of applause for his spirited exertions, yet they were not likely to be productive of any pecuniary benefit.

We had frequently discussed together agricultural topics; and, on my happening to mention to Mr Young, my intention of moving in Parliament for the establishment of a Board of Agriculture, he said, "That it was perfectly unnecessary to take that trouble, as there was not the least chance of success." We two authors thus differing in opinion on the subject, we resolved to lay a literary wager which should prove in the right; Mr Young betting a copy of his Annals of Agri

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 January 1793, said, "You are going To Mr Pitt, and I am to lose the wager. When you come FROM 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,