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BLACKWOOD'SEDINBURGH MAGAZINE
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No. CCCXXX. APRIL, 1843. VOL. LIII.
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CONTENTS
THE PRACTISE OF AGRICULTURE, POEMS AND BALLADS OF SCHILLER.—NO. VII., THE LAST OF THE SHEPHERDS, THE FOUNDING OF THE BELL. BY CHARLES MACKAY, AMMALAT BEK. A TRUE TALE OF THE CAUCASUS FROM THE RUSSIAN OF MARLINSKY.—CHAPTER III., OCCUPATION OF ADEN, SONNET, CALEB STUKLEY. PART XIII., IMAGINARY CONVERSATION, BETWEEN MR. WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR AND THE EDITOR OF BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE, THE BURIAL MARCH OF DUNDEE, LORD ELLENBOROUGH AND THE WHIGS,
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BLACKWOOD'SEDINBURGH MAGAZINE.
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No. CCCXXX. APRIL, 1843. VOL. LIII.
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THE PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURE
Skilful practice is applied science. This fact is illustrated inevery chapter of the excellent and comprehensive work now before us[1].
In a previous article, (see the number for June 1842,) weillustrated at some length the connexion which now exists, and whichhereafter must become more intimate, between practical agricultureand modern science. We showed by what secret and silent steps theprogress and gradual diffusion of modern scientific discoveries hadimperceptibly led to great improvements in the agriculture of thepresent century—by what other more open and manifest applicationsof science it had directly, and in the eyes of all, beenadvanced—to what useful practical discussions the promulgation ofscientific opinions had given rise—and to what better practice suchdiscussions had eventually led. Above all, we earnestly solicitedthe attention of the friends of agriculture to what science seemednot only capable of doing, but anxious also to effect, for thefurther advance of this important art—what new lessons to give, newsuggestions to offer, and new means of fertility to place in thehands of, the skilful experimental farmer.
It is but a comparatively short time since that article was written,and yet the spread of sound opinion, of correct and enlightened views,and of a just appreciation, as well of the aids which science iscapable of giving to agriculture, as of the expediency of availingourselves of all these aids, which within that period has takenplace among practical men, has really surprised us. Nor have we beenless delighted by the zeal with which the pursuit of scientificknowledge, in its relations to agriculture, has been entered upon inevery part of the empire—by the progress which has been made in theacquisition of this knowledge—and by the numerous applicationsalready visible of the important principles and suggestions embodiedin the works then before us, (JOHNSTON's Lectures and Elements ofAgricultural Chemistry and Geology.) But on this important topic wedo not at present dwell. We may have occasion to return to thesubject in a future number, and in the mean time we