A Six Months Tour through the North of England. Containing, an Account of the present State of Agriculture, Manufactures and Population, in several Counties of this Kingdom. Particularly, I. The Nature, Value, and Rental of the Soil. II. The Size of Farms, with Accounts of their Stock, Products, Population, and various Methods of Culture. III. The Use, Expence, and Profit of several Sorts of Manure. IV. The Breed of Cattle, and the respective Profits attending them. V. The State of the Waste Lands which might and ought to be cultivated. VI. The Condition and Number of the Poor, with their Rates, Earnings, &c. VII. The Prices of Labour and Provisions, and the Proportion between them. VIII. The Register of many curious and useful Experiments in Agriculture, and general Practices in rural Oeconomics communicated by several of the Nobility, Gentry, &c. &c. Interspersed With Descriptions of the Seats of the Nobility and Gentry; and other remarkable Objects...
28 engraved plates (many are folding) & six folding printed tables. Four vols. 8vo, cont. polished calf (each lower joint with a slight crack, head of one spine with the slightest chip), spines finely & richly gilt, red & green morocco lettering pieces on spines. London: W. Strahan et al., 1770.
First edition, and a lovely set in attractive contemporary bindings. “On this tour Young travelled 2,500 miles from Bradfield to the northern boundary of England, across country westward, and so in a wide sweep back home, and he collected statistical data from some 250 farms of all sizes and descriptions. These data he attempted to assemble in which is perhaps the first farm survey ever undertaken by an individual in order to use them in the discussion of current farming problems.”–Fussell, II, p. 72.
The text includes a great many statistics on agricultural wages, local variations of method and diet, the state of roads, and even the character of the inns in which Young stayed.
Fine set. Contemporary signature of “Bateman” on each title.
Price: $2,500.00
Item ID: 2752
