The Farmer's Guide in Hiring and Stocking Farms. [YOUNG (Arthur)].

DUBLIN EDITION

The Farmer's Guide in Hiring and Stocking Farms. Containing An Examination of many Subjects of great Importance both to the common Husbandman, in hiring a Farm; and to a Gentleman on taking the Whole or Part of his Estate into his own Hands. Particularly, the Signs whereby to judge of the Land. The Points to be attended to in hiring a Farm. The Quantity of Land and every Sort proportioned to a given Sum of Money. The most advantageous Method of disposing of any Sum from 50L to 20,000L in Husbandry on cultivated or uncultivated Soils. The Means of rendering Agriculture as profitable to Gentlemen, as to common Farmers; and as beneficial a Profession as any other. Hints to those Gentlemen who farm for Pleasure alone. Also, Plans of Farms-yards, and Sections of the necessary Buildings. By the Author of The Farmer's Letters.

10 engraved plates, two of them folding (one with a short tear).

First Dublin Edition. Two volumes. 8vo. [217 x 128 x 64 mm]. [1]f, ii, vi, [2], 336 pp; iv, 380 pp. Contemporary Irish bindings of calf, the spines divided into six panels by raised bands, lettered in the second on blue goatskin labels, the edges of the boards tooled with a blind roll, plain endleaves and edges. (Rubbed, patches of insect activity at the foot of the covers).

Dublin: printed for J. Exshaw, H. Saunders, W. Sleater, D. Chamberlaine, J. Potts, J. Williams, J. Hoey, J. Milliken, J. Porter, and T. Walker, 1771

A very good copy in a distinctive Irish calf binding, complete with the characteristic patches of insect activity. First published in London in 1770, this is the only other 18th century edition. It is rare with ESTC locating 14 copies, with a few notable absentees such as the British Library, Trinity College Dublin and Yale.

Arthur Young visited Ireland in 1776 and the following year returned as resident agent to Lord Kingsborough, with responsibility for supervising a huge estate at Mitchelstown to the north of Cork. He stayed a year and set up an ambitious programme of improvements to the estate. His <i>A Tour in Ireland<n> was published in 1780, and "has since become a valuable source as one of the few accounts of conditions in Ireland at this time. Among others subjects Young had much to say on commercial policy and the activities of the Dublin Society; and in addition Young attacked the practice of subletting land to middlemen and made some interesting observations on the living conditions of the poor" - ODNB.

Stock no. ebc9192