Though agriculture may he considered as of great an tiquity , and in some respects as coeval with the first formation of society, yet materials are wanting, from which a progressive history of the art can be composed. It is probable, however, that mankind, in the early ages, derived their subsistence from hunting in the forests. and fishing in the rivers, and from the milk and flesh of such domestic animals as they possessed ; but how long they continued in this situation, it is impossible to form any conjecture. From the sacred writings, however, we learn that husbandry was understood by Noan, who cl course taught it to his sons, by whom it is likely the art was rpread over the world. The history of the an cient Egyptians informs us, that they were well acquaint ed w ith agriculture ; and perhaps the people of Italy, un der the Roman government, understood all the branches of husbandry much better, and practised them more successfully, than the present inhabitants of that coun try. There is sufficient authority for maintaining, that an enlightened system of rural economy had become prevalent during the Augustan age, and perhaps long before ; fir. the Georgics of Virgil, and the other pro ductions of the Roman authors, show, that husbandry vas not only well understood by the Romans, but cor rectly and successfully practised.
In Britain, at the period of the Roman invasion, there is reason to presume, that husbandry was hardly known, xcept in the southern districts ; and that, even there, it was very imperfectly executed. But whatever might be the situation of Britain when invaded by the Romans, it is certain. that the husbandry of the island, from the Lands-End to the Frith of Forth, was greatly improved by the Roman soldiers ; and that all the grains, that are now cultic ated, were then raised to a considerable. ex tent. In support of this assertion, could the smallest doubt be entertained of its truth, we might refer to the immense quarititi,:s of gr ein exported from Britain when in possession of the Romans, and the obvious marks of improvement left by that celebrated people when they quitted the island. The Roman conquests, instead of desolating the earth, as too often has be(m the case in similar instances, insured the improvement of every country that was subdued ; and the soldiers of that na tion, being drawn from the plough, spread a know ledge of husbandry through every which came under their dominion. To benefit mankind, and increase their comfort and happiness, seemed to be the invariable wishes of the Roman commanders. They seldom or never burned or laid waste the country which they con quered, but rather strained every nerve to civilize the inhabitants, and introduce the arts necessary for pro moting their comfort and happiness. To facilitate com munication from one district and town to another seems to have been a primary object with the Romans ; and the works of this kind, accomplished by them, are still discernible in numerous places. employing their troops in this way, when not engaged in more active service, the Roman commanders seem to have had greatly the advantage over our modern generals. In stead of suffering their soldiers to loiter in camps, or riot in towns, and thus enervate their strength and relax their morals, the Roman commanders kept their sol diers regularly at work, and, what was still better, at work on objects highly beneficial to the interests of those whom they subjugated.
When the Romans finally withdrew from Britain, the country southward of the Frith of Forth had attained a considerable degree of cultivation and improvement ; but it does not appear, that the inhabitants had acquired much of the martial spirit of their former masters and instructors. The progress, how ever, which was made, was soon obstructed, particularly in the districts between the two walls, in consequence of the ravages of the northern tribes, then known under the names of the MaxatrE and the Caledonians. These fierce plunder ers prevailed so far over the unhappy Britons, as to in duce that enervated people to invite the Saxons to their assistance, who, in their turn, became masers of the greatest part of the island. Excepting Wales, and the western part of Scotland, then known under the name of Strath Cluyid, the whole island, south of the Frith of Forth, continued in the possession of Saxons for several centuries.
But the state of South Britain was not completely settled till the Norman invasion, when customs and ha bits were introduced, which, to this day, remain too firmly established, to be removed without the special interposition of the legislature. To his Norman barons, William the Conqueror assigned great estates almost in every country, as a reward of their services ; and these grants were afterwards enlarged, when forfeitures oc curred from the rebellion of the old Saxon possessors. The estates so bestowed were, by the great barons, or officers, in some measure divided among their retainers, or dependents, under the burden of military service, and in this way feudal tenure was introduced, and created into a regular system.
Before the Conquest, the country situated between the Forth and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, then known under the general name of Laudonia, or Lothian, had been ac quired by the Scottish) nation, though afterwards the limits of the two countries were nearly the same as they stood at the memorable period of their union. The Saxon government was favourable to internal improve ment, or rather it continued the system introduced by the Romans ; but the Norman conquest, by introducing the feudal system, checked the progress of cultivation, and contributed to the decline of husbandry. From the Conquest to the days of Henry VIII. the practice of agriculture bad received little improvement ; and as for theoretical, or scientific knowledge, there is not the slightest vestie. of any being acquired, or even sought after, during the long period of five centuries. To the haughty feudal baron, who re igned in a castle, and was provided with an abundant supply of the necessaries of life from his extensive domains, the improvement of the country was a trilling object ; and as his dependents held by military tenure, they considered husbandry as unwor thy of their notice. Hence agriculture was carried on only by the lowest of the people, and in such hands, the art necessarily declined. The unhappy wars between the houses of York and Lancaster gave husbandry also a severe shock, one half of the country being desolated and laid waste by the contending factions.