The horse-hoing husbandry: or, an essay on the principles of tillage and vegetation ... Wherein is shewn a method of introducing a sort of vineyard-culture into the corn-fields, in order to increase their product, and diminish the common expence; by the use of instruments described in cuts / By I.T. [J. Tull].

  • Jethro Tull
Date:
1733
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The horse-hoing husbandry: or, an essay on the principles of tillage and vegetation ... Wherein is shewn a method of introducing a sort of vineyard-culture into the corn-fields, in order to increase their product, and diminish the common expence; by the use of instruments described in cuts / By I.T. [J. Tull]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Having in the foregoing Notes given my Renders fome of the many Explanations and Inlargernents which I intended to make to my EiFay, I proceed with a few Notes on my Preface. PREFACE, P. i. L. 4. Reafonable to expell that an Apology will be required for Writing, {5V.] For the Equivocal Society to charge me with audacious Brags and Pretenfions to Infallibility is very vile; and tiie Reader will lee that the Contrary to their Accuiation is true. But if he reads the Society’s two Volumes, he will fee more of that kind, than is to be found, 1 believe, in any Author, fome of which I beg Leave here toinfert, viz. in p. ii. of their Dedication of their frf Volume, they fay ol their Treatife, That’tis “ one of . “ the compleatelt Syfiems of Agriculture, that was ever yet publilhed.” In Preface to April, “ Has already ** obliged the World with fome Scraps. P. vi. “ A com pleat Set or Syfem of Agriculture ; and being entirely “ new and deduced from Praflice, will be of great Ufe to the Publick.” In Introduction to April, “ Shall “ publifn fomething more to the Purpofe on Husbandry and Planting, than has yet been done, and from which “ ftis to be hop'd) a more compleat Syltem of thefe Sciences may in a little Time be formed, than has yet ap~ “ peared in the World. In Pref. to May p. i, ii. The Authors upon a ferious and impartial View of all that “ has ever yet appeared, and well knowing their own Integrity and Deligns, are not in the leak intimidated “ from offering the following Papers, ’till a general Syltem is finilhed; not doubting but that the World (tho’ “ tired as it were with that numerous Pelt of Books with which the Prefs has been long crouded) will “ yet do Jultice to this or any other Undertaking, which in fo vifiblea Manner appears to be caleulat- « ed for the Publick Good, and wrote in a much more ufeful, as well as more agreeable Style and Method\ “ than has yet appeared, &c. In p. iii. of the fame Preface, “ The Authors living much more in the “ Country than in Town, being of Confequence much better able to judge of the Ignorance of all Country “Farmers &c. lnp. iv. And from the Knowledge of us, who are the Authors of thefe Memoirs, we can “ affirm, that the major Part of the Farmers of this Kingdom, and we can almoft fay Gentlemen too, “ know little or nothing, &c. In Efi'ay for May p. 137.“ And though Mr. Miller hath gone a great Way, “ the Reader will find more for his Inilru&ion in this, than in any other Book yet extant.” In Dedication to Vol. II. “ The Authors free from all fordid fervile Views think themielves very happy, lAc. In Preface to July, p. iii. “ Wherein not only the Pradice but the Theory alfo of thofe ufeful Sciences wi 1 be let in a “ itronger and more confpicuous Light, then they have ever heretofore been, &c. Much more of this Sort of Brags, Arrogance, and Prefumption may be found in the Work of thofe Authors. P. i. L. I 1. The Solicitations by Letters from Perfons of Rank, &c. ] Equivocus mfinuates that I writ to fhew jnyfelf a Great Man and a fine Gentleman by the Conceitednefs of my own Opinions, and the like, which he would have the World believe the only Motives of my Writing. Of the many Perfons that perfwaded me to write, the Commentator and Tranfiator of Virgil's. Georgies was the firft, who both by Word and a great Number of Letters, which I have, and by other Inducements which I don’t care to mention, folicited me to put my Thoughts upon Husbandry, &c. into Writing, he often telling me, that he knew nothing in the World that would be of more general Ufe than my Drill, &c. if made publick, there never having been any other of the kind that would perform that Work to any Purpofe, as he believed, and he had read all the Books he could obtain likely to difeover them, if there had been any fuch Inilruments : He faid the Sembrador was the nearefi ; but of a Structure very different from my Drill, and upon full Trials was found ufelefs for planting in Rows, it being only defigned for planting Com deep in Land that was level, and fo fine that neither Clods nor Stones remained in it. He {hewed me the Cut of Mr. Worledge's Drill, which he faid was only a Propolal, and never made but in the Cut. He alfo told me that he himfelf had been endeavouring to get fuch an Inllrument made, and had em¬ ploy’d a worthy Reverend Projector, who put him to an Expence of 25/. in making one for him, which when finilhed would perform Nothing. He afterwards defired that my Workmen might make him a drill of my Sort for St. Foin, and another for Tumep Seed, which was done ; and then he advifed me to make that Part of Metal, that was before of Box-tree Wood, and is in my Plates deferibed as made of Brafs. ’Tis to that ingenious Antidrydenian Critick, that I chiefly owe my Misfortunes of the Prefs, which have been more and greater than I believe ever happen’d to any Author on the fame Subjeft. Perhaps you’ll fay, I might have avoided thefe Misfortunes by fuppreffing what I had writ; and, indeed, after the Specimen was publilhed, I was come to a Relolution cl printing no more, for feveral Reafons ; the Chief of which was my Apprehenfion of the Mifchiel that would be done by Pretenders, who were fer- ting up in London; and that, when I heard my Specimen was reprinted in Ireland, I expected the whole Book would be fo too: But I was prevailed on to change my Defign by feveral Letters, one of which I here make bold to Infert, hoping the Noble Peer who wrote them will not take it amifs, lince it is to obviate an Objection injurious to the Defign of the fame Letter ; w hich is as follow's: London, Feb. 8. 1732. My Dear Sir, “ ****** Jhewed me your Letter to him of the 3d of this Month. I am extremely firry to obfervefrom it, * that you are under great Difiouragements at prefent. I hope you'll believe I am very fincere, when I tell you I ‘ am much inter efied in your Prefervation, from the Happinefs I have of a Perfonal Acquaintance with you, 1 as well as from the Concern, I think the Publick has in a Perfin who has laboured fo fuccefsfully for its Ser- ‘ vice. I would fain hope, that the Apprehenfions you had from your jpitting of Blood are long before this * Time removed, by its having ceafid. If that's the Cafe, I mufi conjure you for the fake of your own Glory, e and for that of your Country's Benefit to apply heartily and without Lofs of Time, to the publijhing of your * Work. If you cannot get an Amanuenfis from Oxon fpeedily, pray let ***** fend you one from hence. I am per- ‘ fuaded the Subfcription Money will go Jar tmvards printing your Book; but if any Thing Jhould be wanting you “ may