Reading the implement and machine makers

Some of the most important Scottish agricultural books between the  mid eighteenth and early twentieth centuries record the agricultural implement and machine makers and their activities, as well as the tools, implements and machines used on farms.

Google books and the Internet Archive have digitised the most important of these books.  I have listed these and have provided links to their electronic copies.

1762

Adam Dickson, A treatise on agriculture, 1862

1784

James Small, A treatise on ploughs and wheel carriages, Edinburgh, 1784

1795

Board of Agriculture, Report of the Committee of the Board of Agriculture, appointed to extract information from the county reports, and other authorities, concerning the culture and use of potatoes, London, 1795

1796

James Donaldson, Modern agriculture; or, the present state of husbandry in Great Britain, in 4 vols, vol 2, Edinburgh, 1796

James Donaldson, Modern agriculture; or, the present state of husbandry in Great Britain, in 4 vols, vol 3, Edinburgh, 1796

James Donaldson, Modern agriculture; or, the present state of husbandry in Great Britain, in 4 vols, vol 4, Edinburgh, 1796

1798

Henry Home, Lord Kames, The gentleman farmer, being an attempt to improve agriculture, by subjecting it to the test of rational principles, 4th edn, Edinburgh, 1798

1804

Robert Forsyth, The principles and practice of agriculture systematically explained, 2 vols, vol 1, Edinburgh, 1804

1805

William Aiton, A treatise on the origin, qualities, and cultivation of moss-earth, Glasgow, 1805

Robert Forsyth, The beauties of Scotland: containing a clear and full account of the agriculture, commerce, miles, and manufactures; of the population, cities, towns, villages &c of each county, vol 1, Edinburgh, 1805

Robert Forsyth, The beauties of Scotland: containing a clear and full account of the agriculture, commerce, miles, and manufactures; of the population, cities, towns, villages &c of each county, vol 2, Edinburgh, 1805

1806

Robert Forsyth, The beauties of Scotland: containing a clear and full account of the agriculture, commerce, miles, and manufactures; of the population, cities, towns, villages &c of each county, vol 3, Edinburgh, 1806

1808

Robert Forsyth, The beauties of Scotland: containing a clear and full account of the agriculture, commerce, miles, and manufactures; of the population, cities, towns, villages &c of each county, vol 4, Edinburgh, 1808

Robert Forsyth, The beauties of Scotland: containing a clear and full account of the agriculture, commerce, miles, and manufactures; of the population, cities, towns, villages &c of each county, vol 5, Edinburgh, 1808

Andrew Gray, The plough-wright’s assistant; or, a practical treatise on various implements employed in agriculture, Edinburgh, 1808

1811

William Aiton, A treatise on the origin, qualities and cultivation of moss-earth, with directions for converting it into manure, Air, 1811

Robert Brown, A treatise on agriculture and rural affairs, vol 1, Edinburgh, 1811

Robert Brown, A treatise on agriculture and rural affairs, vol 2, Edinburgh, 1811

William Lester, A history of British implements and machinery applicable to agriculture, with observations on their improvement, London, nd. [1811]

1812

John Johnstone, esq, General report of Scotland: On draining, Edinburgh, 1812

Sir John Sinclair, An account of the systems of husbandry adopted in the more improved districts of Scotland, Edinburgh, 1812

1813

Sir John Sinclair, An account of the systems of husbandry adopted in the more improved districts of Scotland, 2nd edn. In 2 vols, vol 1, Edinburgh, 1813

Sir John Sinclair, An account of the systems of husbandry adopted in the more improved districts of Scotland, 2nd edn. In 2 vols, vol 2, Edinburgh, 1813

1814

Andrew Gray, Explanations of the engravings of the most important implements used in Scotland, Edinburgh, 1814

Sir John Sinclair, General report of the agricultural state, and political circumstances, of Scotland, vol 1, Edinburgh, 1814

Sir John Sinclair, General report of the agricultural state, and political circumstances, of Scotland, vol 3, Edinburgh, 1814

Sir John Sinclair, Appendix to the general report of the agricultural state, and political circumstances, of Scotland, vol 1, Edinburgh, 1814

Sir John Sinclair, Appendix to the general report of the agricultural state, and political circumstances, of Scotland, vol 2, Edinburgh, 1814

1815

Henry Home, Lord Kames, The gentleman farmer, being an attempt to improve agriculture, by subjecting it to the test of rational principles, 6th edn, Edinburgh, 1815

1818

Sir John Sinclair, The Code of agriculture, Hartford, 1818

1825

John Claudis Loudon, An encyclopedia of agriculture, vol 1, London, 1825

1829

George Robertson, Rural recollections; or, the progress of improvement in agriculture and rural affairs, Irvine, 1829

Alexander Taylor, The farmer’s guide, and agriculturist’s companion, Edinburgh, 1829

1830

John Milne, A practical view of the steam engine, Edinburgh, 1830

1832

Sir John Sinclair, The code of agriculture, 5th edn, London, 1832

1834

John Johnstone, A systematic treatise on the theory and practice of draining land, Edinburgh, 1834

David Low, Elements of practical agriculture, Edinburgh, 1834 

1836

The Agriculturist’s manual, forming a report of Lawson’s Agricultural Museum in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, 1836

1838

David Low, Elements of practical agriculture, 2nd edn, London and Edinburgh, 1838

1840

James Jackson, A treatise on agriculture and dairy husbandry, Edinburgh, 1840

1843

A general priced catalogue of implements, seeds, plants &c sold by W. Drummond and Sons, seedsmen and nurserymen, Agricultural Museum, Stirling and Dublin, 1844

James Smith, Remarks on thorough draining and deep ploughing, 6th edn, Stirling, 1843

1844

Henry Stephens, The book of the farm, vol 1, Edinburgh, 1844

Henry Stephens, The book of the farm, vol 2, Edinburgh, 1844

Henry Stephens, The book of the farm, vol 3, Edinburgh, 1844

1848

Henry Stephens, A manual of practical draining, 3rd edn, Edinburgh and London, 1848

1849

Robert Ritchie, The farm engineer: a treatise on barn machinery, Glasgow, 1849

1851

Henry Stephens, The book of the farm, vol 2, Edinburgh, 1851

1855

Henry Stephens, The Yester deep land-culture, Edinburgh, 1855

1856

Henry Stephens, Catchism of practical agriculture, Edinburgh, 1856

1858

James Slight and R. Scott Burn, ed Henry Stephens, The book of farm implements and machines, Edinburgh and London, 1858

1859

John Wilson, Our farm crops, vol 1, London, Edinburgh and Glasgow, 1859-60

John Wilson, Our farm crops, vol 2, London, Edinburgh and Glasgow, 1859-60

1861

Henry Stephens, The book of farm buildings, Edinburgh and London, 1861

1862

John Wilson, British farming: a description of the mixed husbandry of Great Britain, Edinburgh, 1862

1869

Robert E Brown, The book of the landed estate, Edinburgh, 1869

1879

Ramsay, Alexander. History of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland; with notices of earlier societies for the promotion of agriculture in Scotland, Edinburgh, 1879

1889

Henry Stephens, The book of the farm, division 1, Edinburgh and London, 1889

Henry Stephens, The book of the farm, division 2, Edinburgh and London, 1889

Henry Stephens, The book of the farm, division 3, Edinburgh and London, 1889

Henry Stephens, The book of the farm, division 4, Edinburgh and London, 1889

Henry Stephens, The book of the farm, division 5, Edinburgh and London, 1889

Henry Stephens, The book of the farm, division 6, Edinburgh and London, 1889

1908

Stephen’s book of the farm 5th edn, revised by James Macdonald, vol 2, Edinburgh and London, 1908

© 2015-21 Heather Holmes

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