regards due to them, and at the fame time, of maintaining our own innocence: of fhunning their example in almost every thing, and yet in moft things fubmitting to their authority. But, how can we expect from young perfons this confummate prudence? Do they not naturally look up to their parents, as their trueft friends, and as the most proper models for their own conduct? Moft unfortunate, then, and moit perilously placed, is that child, which has daily before its eyes the example of a vicious Father, or a vain and inconfiderate Mother, Let parents reflect on this: And then, if a regard to their own prefent and future happiness cannot perfuade them to a virtuous and exemplary life; yet, let the voice of nature be heard; and let them not cause their children to perifh, through their evil example!

"If you are now convinced, that "evil communications corrupt good manners"; you will not want many words of exhortation to be Careful in avoiding them.

Young perfons!" be not deceived". When you enter into the world, it will prefent to you a fair and enchanting fpectacle. To fay, with morofe perfons, that it is all "a whited fepulchre", would be unjuft, and untrue. But to fay, that it is a perilous place, very perilous to ingenucus virtue, is true beyond difpure," Take heed to yourfelves, therefore; fnares are laid for you in the ground, and traps for you in the way".

"You may imagine, that no one will dare to attack your ftedfaft virtue: Be not deceived". The Son of God, himfelf, was tempted with perfevering boidnefs: What man, then, fhall fancy himself out of the reach of temptation?

"Perhaps, confiding in your ftrength of mind, you defpife all the artifices of wicked feducers. "Be not, thus fatally, deceived". Prefumption increases danger ten-fold: it produces negligence and vain fecurity; and is ufually close-attended by a deplorable fall. Remember that of Peter one hour, he was full of prefumption, the next he wept bitterly.

I fhall conclude, with fome carneft warnings of holy Scripture against evil communications".

66

My fon, if finners entice thee, confent thou not walk not thop in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path.-Bleffed is the man that walketh not in the counfel of the ungodly, nor ftandeth in the way of finners, nor fitteth in the feat of the fcornful.-Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men: avoid it, pafs not by it, turn from it, and pafs away; he that loveth danger, thall perish therein. Walk in the way of good men; and keep the paths of the righteous. For, he that walketh with wife men, fhall be wife: but a coinpanion of fools fhall be deftroyed." P. 158.

There can be very little doubt that this will prove an acceptable work. Our withes for its fuccefs, which we fcruple not to allow to be fanguine, are founded on a careful examination of its contents; which juftifies us in warmly recommending it to the attention of young preachers, who may not yet have had the opportunity or the experience of compofition. The dif

courfes

courfes are exceedingly well adapted to the purposes of inftruction, being in general of a moderate length, remarkably perfpicuous, practical in their fubjects, and unexceptionable in their doctrine.

We hope that Mr. Partridge may be encouraged by the fale of this volume to prefent the public with another, fimilar in its defign; and confident we are, that it will be equal in point of merit.

ART. VI. Georgical Effays. and L. E. Six Volumes. man, &c. 180g and 1804.

A

By A. Hunter, M. D. F. R.S. 8vo. 10s. 6d. each. Maw

WORK from fo refpectable quarter ought to have been fooner noticed by us. But we are not, all of us, addicted to agricultural reading; we must therefore wait the leifure of thofe who are fo, and who may poffibly be sometimes engaged in ftudies more important.

The fubftance of the general Preface is; that, about the year 1770, a few gentlemen of York formed themselves into an Agricultural Society; agreeing, that their refpective fignatures fhould be affixed to the papers read at the board; and that papers of diftinguished merit fhould be published, under the title of Georgical Effays. One volume appeared within a twelvemonth; but, many active members dying, the publication was difcontinued; and the Society was diffolved in 1786. Dr. H. having had a principal fhare in this publication, was unwilling to let it pafs into oblivion; efpecially, because he wifhed to make it the bafis of a more extenfive work; which is accordingly now prefented to us. It is here propofed, to "draw into one focus all that is widely diffufed through numberlefs volumes (as it is justly said) of agricultural information".

Even a mere abftract of the contents of fix bulky volumes would carry us beyond our juft limits. Incidental remarks, practical rather than theoretical, and a general character of the work, feem to conftitute the most useful account we can give of it.

Vol. 1. p. 11. Dr. Hunter prefixes to his Effays a fhort hiftory of the Rife and Progrefs of Agriculture". With refpect to its rife, he juftly takes for his authority" the facred writings"; and we recommend his reverence for thein to agriculturists in general.

P. 42. "The oil-compoft is in all refpects inferior to rotten dung: where that can be obtained, every kind of ma

nure

nure muft give way to it". All good farmers (we believe) will confirm this judgment.

P. 59-64. Steeps are difapproved; nothing being more chimerical than the idea of giving any vegetative force to feeds by prolific liquors; and it is juffly faid, "that plump feed, clear of weeds, and land well prepared to receive it, will feldom difappoint the expectations of the farmer, and upon thefe he fhould rely for the goodness of the crop."

Dr. H. maintains, that the ftraw of drilled beans. is fhorter than of broadcast. We do not find it fo.

P. 151. The conclufion of Effay x111. "on the Study of Nature", may be recommended to the notice of farmers, as helping them to look beyond the fields which lie immediately under their feet.

"The regular return of feafons, and the invariable order that vegetables obferve in budding, leafing, and flowering, befpeak almighty wifdom and almighty power. A mind harmonized to fuch divine contemplations fees at all times, and feels with warmth, the goodness of the Creator to the created. He [a man poffeffing fuch a mind} confiders the works of nature as the filent but expreffive language of the Deity; and, while he feems only to admire, is wrapt in gratitude

and devotion."

P. 152-192. Elay XIV. contains various experiments, well deferving of confideration, fhowing what feasons are the moft proper for fowing wheat.

P. 269. The mode very lately adopted by the legislature, for promoting an increafed quantity of corn, feems to us much preferable to the premiums recommended in this Effay.

P. 318, &c. we meet with fome very fuccefsful experiments, with a compoft, in which whales' refufe is the principal ingredient.

Vol. 11. begins with an Effay by Dr. Thomfon, containing an eulogy on the beneficial effects of a fpirited agriculture, and on the reciprocal advantages of agriculture and manufac

tures.

P. 122 to 196. This whole Effay relates to the poor, and appears to us fingularly important and ufeful. It contains many excellent remarks on the good effects of allotting land to cottagers, and on the mifchiefs of ale-houfes.

P. 207. Dr. H. thinks that argillaceous foils are unfit for turnips and cabbages; he alfo feems to think, that fuch foils cannot be properly pulverized for fuch crops: we are of opinion, that fuch foils are more proper than thofe of a fandy nature for cabbages. To prepare them properly, they fhould be ploughed before winter, and laid in ridges; fo as to expofe as great a furface as poffible to the pulverizing effect of fiofl: care

fhould

fhould alfo be taken to make proper drains to carry off the water. If this be properly done, it will not be difficult completely to feparate the particles of fuch foil, and to drag out the roots of weeds in the fpring; fo as perfectly to prepare it for the reception of cabbage-plants in June, which on fuch foils will grow to a far greater fize than on any light foils. If the foil retain too much moiffure in winter to bear treading with fheep, the cabbages may be carted off to other fields, or into a fold yard. Inftead of the fallow, and courfe of tillage, recommended by Dr. H. " fallow, wheat, beans drilled, barley, feeds, oats, beans, wheat", the following may be fubfti tuted; cabbages, oats, beans drilled, wheat, cabbages, barley, feeds, wheat.

P. 220. A good differtation on artificial graffes is here prefented to the reader.

P. 340 to 305. On Manures. The fubject is well treated, and demands the attention of agriculturists.

P. 327. The fituation of a labourer, poffeffing a cow, is confidered as preferable to that of a very fmall farmer.

P. 383 to 414. This Effay, by the Rev. Edmund Cartwright, has appeared (we think) in another work; but it well deferves to be again offered to the public attention; particularly that part of it (p. 395) which shows the additional quantity of provifion (animal and vegetable) that may be produced by agriculture; and confequendly, the national benefit to be obtained by the extenfion and improvement of it.

Vol. I. Effay III. p. 50, contains good inftructions for planting trees, as practifed by Mr. Speechly, on the Duke of Portland's eftates in Nottinghamshire.

P. 72. The Utility of Oxen and Horfes in Husbandry compared. This is certainly an extraordinary account; and we must say, that neither one fhort Effay, nor one man's experience in favour of oxen exclufively, is fatisfactory to us.

From p. 130 to 223, we find no less than 63 "experiments, concife obfervations", or fpeculations. The following may be attended to: winter vetches recommended particularly as “ a valuable feed for ewes and lambs in the fpring". We account them to be very good things; but furely they grow too late in the spring for ewes and lambs; lucern, between rows of beans; tares, as an artificial grafs; deftroying the common thiftle; fleeping feed-barley in a dry feafon.

P. 225. Ingenious obfervations on different fpecies of fungi, affecting wheat-crops.

P. 326. On cabbages, and the expences of growing them. The favourers of fyflems in agriculture are apt to deceive themfelves in their calculations: for example; all expences

(carting

(carting included) 11. 14s. 1d per acre". We fay, that manure is neceffary; at least three ploughings, and as many harrow

ings.

6000 plants per acre, at 3d. Planting, per acre

Horfe-hoeing, hand-hoeing, and earthing up

£. s. d.

o 18 O 60

O 10

I 14 O

To be added, carting off 20 tons per acre. The planting and hoeing coft as much as the author reckons for every charge. Effay xvII. p. 362, relates a most astonishing profit from the Huntingdonshire willow.

Vol. IV. In this volume alfo we find (among other things) 67 experiments, or concife agricultural obfervations. Our attention was principally drawn by No. 59, (p. 276) which ftrongly recommends urine as a manure; and by No. 62, which fets forth the wonderful ufes of the common nettle.

The Preface to Vol. v. very properly afferts the fuperiority of the practical over the fpeculative farmer. Yet furely the former of thefe men might fafely be encouraged to pay fome attention to the theories of the other; and to try them on a fmall fcale, and at no hurtful expence. We agree in opinion with thofe perfons who "have expreffed a wish to have all the papers claffed together, under their refpe&tive heads"; and though it is true, as Dr. H. obferves, that "in a periodical work, containing many original papers, delivered at dif ferent times, fuch a difpofition is impoffible", till the work fhall be completed; yet it is obvious, that within a few pages, tables of reference might be made to the feveral papers under their refpective claffes.

Effay xv. p. 245, by Dr. Hunter, controverts the opinion of Dr. Harrifon, concerning the cause of rot in fheep. The Jatter afcribes it to "marth-miafmata, bringing on a putrid fever"; the former contends, that it is "an animalcular difeafe, and cannot be explained upon any other principle; for", he fays," as far as I know, the rot has never been obferved without its concomitant flukes, which are more or lefs numerous, in proportion to the malignancy of the difeafe". But here, good Doctor, we muft obferve, your logic is not quite fatisfactory: you beg the queftion, which is the cause, or which the effect; for you leave it quite uncertain, whether the flukes produce the rot or the rot the flukes.

Effay xxI. p. 359. It should in fairness have been mentioned, that this is a mere republication of an ingenious tract, published by Mr. Curtis in 1782, when the alarm occafioned

by