ANDERSON, DR JAMES, was born at Hermiston, a village near Edinburgh, in the year 1739. His ances tors were farmers, and had, for many generations, oc cupied the same land. His parents died when lie was very young, and he was destined, as soon as he should be of age, to enter upon the management of the farm, which they had possessed. While preparing for his future employment, he soon perceived the great im portance of a scientific acquaintance with agriculture ; entered upon the study of chemistry under the late Dr Cullen, and pursued, at the same time, various other collateral branches of useful knowledge. At the age of 15, he entered upon his farm, with an enlarged mind, and enterprising spirit ; attempted readily every ob vious improvement ; and was among the first who adopted the small two-horse plough, which is now so common in Scotland. He still prosecuted his studies with indefatigable zeal ; attended a private course of lectures, which Dr Cullen delivered to a few favourite pupils; and continued to receive from that gentleman every encouragement and assistance in his power.
In a few years, he left Hermiston, and took the large farm at Monkhill, in Aberdeenshire, where he resided _ more than 20 years, and where all his early works were composed. He commenced his literary career in 1777, by publishing his Essays on planting, which had ap peared in 1771, in the Edinburgh Weekly Magazine, with the signature Agricola. The fame of his works procured him the acquaintance of many persons of emi. nence ; and, in 1780, the university of Aberdeen confer red upon him the degree of doctor of laws, without any solicitation on his part. Partly with a view to promote the education of his numerous family, and partly to en joy the society of those literary friends, with whom he had corresponded, he entrusted the management of his farm to other hands ; and removed, in 1783, to the neigh bourhood of Edinburgh. His place of residence was situated within the parish of Leith; and, when the ma gistrates and heritors attempted to levy an assessment upon householders, for the maintenance of the poor, lie brought the measure to a legal discussion before the court of session ; and, with the assistance of able counsel, succeeded in persuading the judges, that the laws of Scotland did not authorize the establishment of a poor's rate. He considered himself as having rendered an es
sential service to his country, by his resistance in this case ; and several editions of his papers during the pro cess, though never published, were printed for the use of his friends.
About the same time, he printed and circulated, among his acquaintances, a pamphlet on the establish ment of the North British Fisheries; in consequence of which he was requested, by the lords of the treasury, to survey the western coast of Scotland, with a view to ob tain information on this important subject. He execu ted this service in 1784 ; and, in the report of a commit tee, appointed May 11, 1785, to inquire into the state of the British fisheries, very honourable mention is made of his labours. The two great measures which he most strenuously recommended for the improvement of the fisheries, were, lst, The repeal of the duty on salt, and the furnishing of that article to the fishers, free of all oppressive regulations; 2d, The repeal also of the duty on coals, carried along the coast of Scotland, and the permitting of the vessels, employed in this trade, to go round from creek to creek, and from bay to bay, dis posing of their cargoes in small parcels ; and he used to express great indignation, that, in the bills which were passed upon this subject, these facilities were not suffi ciently secured.
After his return from collecting information on the subject of the fisheries, he resumed his literary labours ; and, among other plans, he projected a periodical work, entitled, "The Bee," which was published weekly ; and which, for a considerable time, net with much encou ragement. He wrote a great part of this work him self; and, besides many of the principal papers, without signature, all those, which are signed Senex, Alcibiades, and Timothy Hairbrain, were from his pen.