An Essay on the Weeds of Agriculture, Ed. by G. Sinclair (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1825 Excerpt: ... ESSAY, &c. INTRODUCTION. It has happened, (it seems very strangely, ) that an Essay on Weeds and their destruction has never been published. During the continuance of the Board of Agriculture, an Essay of this kind was sent to the Board, by Mr. Pitt, of Wolverhampton, containing a pretty long catalogue, but with many important omissions, and without any practical arrangement. Mr. Pitt understood botany very well, but knew little of agriculture. His Essay is to be found in the fifth volume of the Communications to the Board of Agriculture, printed in 1806. It seems also somewhat strange, at this advanced period of agricultural knowledge, that so many queries should be put, "How to destroy blackgrass?"--"How to destroy coltsfoot?" &c.; as if there were any secret known to a few, or any charm in existence, by which an overwhelming increase of any particular weed could be stopped at once. But the world is always in a state of pupilage; some are learning what others know; and the queries which to the young are interesting, are to the experienced and wise trifling and superfluous. So it must be with essays on agricultural subjects, which can only be directed to the general instruction of the inexperienced; while the practiced and sagacious agriculturist must be requested to pardon the particularity with which things well known to him are so tediously written down. To these queries it is owing that this Essay has been attempted. In the Farmer's Journal of August 25,1823, a gentleman from Durham wrote to the Editor as follows: "Would any of your numerous correspondents point out a work as a book of reference for the destruction of weeds, to which a young farmer might refer? It should be alphabetical, with the Linnsean and provincial names, and the best mode of extir...