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PREFACE
The first and chief employment to which the
attention of man was directed, was the culture and management of the
productions of the soil. The Vegetable Kingdom contributes more to our
immediate wants than all the rest of the terrestrial creation; and the
great law which requires that man should “cultivate the earth and subdue
it,” was the first laid down for his guidance and advantage.
Of the pleasure to be derived from Gardening and Botanical pursuits, it
is superfluous to speak. By the possession and cultivation of even a few
feet of soil, a man may greatly enlarge his store of rational and pure
enjoyments: at same time the return, in a profitable point of view, will
always yield an equivalent reward to his labour.
The importance and utility of Husbandry are universally felt and
acknowledged, yet the more approved methods of cultivation are known
only to a few, notwithstanding all that has been written on the subject.
This may arise from the generality of these works being very Costly, and
often written by theoretical, rather than practical agriculturists. It
therefore occurred to me, that a really practical work, by one
familiarly acquainted with the subject, might be useful; and on this
account I have yielded to the persuasions of many friends, and
endeavoured, in the following pages, to combine perspicuity and
cheapness, so as to form a small volume as accessible and useful as
possible. Feeling the truth of the apothegm, that “he who succeeds in
making two blades of grass grow where only one grew before, is a
benefactor to his country”: and aware that in every pursuit, advancement
can only be made by means of accumulated experience, in which every
effort, however humble, in the right direction, has a beneficial effect,
I flattered myself that my labours might not be altogether superfluous.
My first object in planning the work was to render it as plain and brief
as possible, at the same time both intelligible and interesting; and I
earnestly trust that this will be found to be the case on perusal. My
method of cultivating Vegetables and Small Fruits is of my own
invention. There are many original passages in the Agricultural
department, and particularly under the head of Agricultural Botany,
which will account for much of the loss of cattle and horses yearly
sustained by farmers and graziers.
The Botanical department is rendered more plain and practical than is
generally the case in works of the kind; and the whole is compressed
into as concise a form as possible. Each of the Linnean Classes is
headed with a plain introduction, and where thought necessary, the
natural orders of Jussieu have been added; which may prove serviceable
to young gentlemen intended for the medical profession, intending
emigrants, and every one connected with rural affairs. The Glossary of
Botanical terms at the end of the volume, will be found a useful
companion to Hooker’s British Flora, and other works of the kind.
While utility, rather than profit, has been my aim, I may have been
actuated with a little of the honest ambition of having it said of me,
when I shall “pass that bourne whence none return,” (as so justly has
been said of that eminent agriculturist, the late Sir John Sinclair,)
“that the welfare of the human race had always an upper share in my
heart.” Much of the merit due to my little essay, is owing to the
abridged extracts scattered throughout it from the best modern authors.
I have little else than the selection to be vain of; for those portions
which are of my own composition, must, I am well aware, contain many
imperfections. If I have succeeded, however, in stating plain and useful
facts, in language intelligible to the community at large, I trust the
reader will not be too fastidious respecting elegance of style, or
harmony of diction. From an early age my hands have been chiefly
occupied in guiding the plough and wielding the spade; whilst only my
hours of rest have been devoted to the acquisition of general
information, however small the amount. Like many of my countrymen, I
have been bred in the school of hardship, and have had to struggle
against the frowns of fortune; yet I feel pride in thinking, that the
man who earns his bread by an honest calling, and walks through life
with truth and honour, need not be ashamed to lay his humble labours
before a discerning public.
The different portions of the work being preceded by suitable
introductions, little more remains for me here than to state my
acknowledgments to the several Newspaper Editors in Perth and
neighbourhood, who, from time to time, have kindly given admission to
pretty copious extracts from various portions of the work; and my
gratitude for the very kind encouragement I have met from my friends,
and from subscribers, to whom I had latterly communicated my intention
of publishing.
ROBERT M'NAB.
Bridge of Earn, September, 1842.
Extract of a Letter from D. Fobbes, Esq., Professor of Oriental
Languages and Literature, King’s College, London, to Mr M‘Nab, after
having seen the prospectus of this work:—
“I have no doubt that a little Work of the kind you advertise, is
calculated to do much good. When I look upon the neat little gardens of
the English cottagers, I cannot help remembering that the Scotch of the
same class are, or were in my time, very far behind the Southern in that
respect, and from no earthly reason but sheer laziness. Take, for
example, the garden of our old friend, There was a good piece of ground,
I remember; but what did it produce? Green kail, and a few stray
cabbages and grazers [Anglice, gooseberries.] Now, if I were Laird of so
much ground, I should pride myself in making it a miniature of Paradise;
I should have all, or a reasonable number, of the plants about to appear
in your book; I should bestow an hour or two a day on their cultivation,
instead of standing as long with my hands in my breeches’ pockets,
hearing the idle talk of the strath. In your low country, the gardens
are of course a shade better, but even there you have much room for
improvement.
“P. S. The verse from Genesis is very applicable. I should not be
surprised if your book should prove the best sermon yet made on the text
as you not only tell the people to do the thing, but show them how to do
it.”
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