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OU AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES

It was on the 8th of June 1723, that the first associationin Scotland, and indeed, the earliest in'Europe *, was formed,for promoting the interests of agriculture. A number of in-dividuals, distinguished for rank, character and talents, unit-ed in a society for that express purpose. The title they as-sumed was, The Society of Improvers in the knowledge of Agri-culture in Scotland . Their number was respectable, about 300,of whom 40 were peers. Their transactions were publishedoccasionally, from 1728 to 1743, when a volume of nearly500 pages, containing the select transactions, prepared byMr Maxwell of Arkland, was revised and approved of by theirPresident, Mr Hope of Rankeilor, and a committee of thesociety. It appears from that publication, that turnips, andsown grasses, not excepting lucern and sainfoin, were culti-vated above seventy years ago, by the Earl of Stair at New-liston, and by other Scotch agriculturists who imitated hisexample. It is evident, indeed, from these transactions, thatthe society flourished for upwards of twenty years; that theirefforts to promote the improvement of Scotland , were greatand liberal ; that they were crowned with success beyondtheir most sanguine expectations; that a number of interest-ing memorials from all parts of the kingdom, on the mostimportant branches of agrestic economy, were communicatedto them ; that a proposal was made, and a plan adopted, forhaving a regular course of agricultural lectures delivered an-nually in Edinburgh ; and that Mr Maxwell of Arkland didactually deliver such a course, for one, if not two sessions.

But the death of Mr Hope, their President, who was the

It appears that the Dublin Society, which some have supposed was the firstin Furopc, was established in 173], in imitation of this institution. In Mr Max-well of Arkland’s work, (Dedication, p. 9), there is the following paragraph ?“ The sea itself has not been able to confine the influence of your example; forthe Irish have entered into a society in imitation of yours, and it appears evenby what they have published, that they arc exceedingly useful, and of singularservice to their country.”