| XXX | (40-(Agriculture)) | XXX |
A G R A G R (4 0 ) AGOUGES, a river of France, which, after watering AGREDA, a town of Spain, in old Caftile, near the frontiers of Arragon, and about three leagues fouthpart of Auvergne, falls into the Sible. AGRA, a city of the Hither India, and capital of a king- weft ofTaracon. dom of the fame name. It is fkuated on the river Agreda, is alfo a town of South America, fituated at the' Jemma, and is a large, populous, and beautiful city, foot of the mountains in the kingdom of Popaian. where the Mogul frequently refides. AGREEMENT, in law, fignifies the confent of feveral AGRAM, a city and bifliop’s fee of Hungary, fituated perfons to any thing done or to be done. near the frontiers of Carniola. AGRESSES, or Ogresses, in heraldry, a term fomfeAGRARIAN laws, among the Romans, thofe relating times ufed for pellets. See Pellets. to the divifion and diftribution of lands; of which AGRESTfE, among phyficians, denotes unripe grapes, there were a great number; but that called the Agra- faid to be of a cooling nature. rian law, by way of eminence, was published by AGRI, or Acri, a river of the kingdom of Naples, Spurius Caffius, about the year of Rome 268, for di- which arifing in the Apennine mountains, not far from viding the conquered lands equally among all the citizens, Marfico Nuovo, falls into the gulph of Tarento. and limiting the number of acres which each citizen AGRL%, a town and river of Upper Hungary. The town is a bifhop’s fee, and fituated about thirty-five might enjoy. miles N. E. of Buda. AGRARIUM. See Agistment, AGRICULTURE. AGRICULTURE is the art of a{lifting the earth, by means of culture, manure, be. to bring forth plants in greater quantity, and likewife of a larger fize and better quality, than it would produce without thefe aftiftances. Agriculture is an art of fuch confequence to mankind, that their very exiftence, efpecially in a ftate of fociety, depends upon it. A compendious view, therefore, of every material difeovery that hath hitherto
been made in this art, muft be ufeful both to the farmer and philofopher. To accomplifti this end with the greater perfpicuity, the fubjeft fhall be divided into two parts. Under the firft. Vegetation, and the Smnfture of Plants, (hail be confidered. The fecond will contain the various Operations upon the Soil, in order to prepare it for the reception and nouriihmerit of plants. For the eafe of the reader, each of thefe parts ftiali be fubdivided into a number of fedions.
PAR Of Vegetation,) and the r | ^ H E vegetation and ceconomy of plants is one of thofe fubje&s in which our knowledge is extremely circumfcribed. Many hypothefes have been invented ; as many have been, or may eafily be, refuted. Hypothefes in matters that evidently exceed our powers do much hurt: But they are likewife of fome ufc. They incite to further inquiries ; and thefe inquiries are carried on with greater fpirit, becaufe they are intended for the purpofe of confuting. It is true this fpirit is not the moft friendly to impartial obfervation ; but it makes us more indefatigable in our refearches. Retailing theories is no part of our plan. A total inattention to the ftru<fture and ceconomy of plants is the chief reafon of the fmall progrefs that has been made in rhe principles of vegetation, and of the inftability and iiuftuation of our theories concerning it. To recall the. attend on of philofophers and cultivators, to the only fource from which any folid theory can ever be formed on this fubject, we fhall give a fhort deferip-
T I. Structure of Plants. tion of the ftrudure of plants, beginning with the feed, and tracing its progrefs and evolution to a ftate of maturity. S e c t. I. Of Seeds. The feeds of plants are of various figures and fizes. Moft of them are divided into two lobes; though fome, as thofe of the creft-kind, have fix; and others, as the grains of corn, are not divided, but intire. But, as the eflential properties of all feeds are the fame, when confidered with regard to the principles of vegetation, our particular deferiptions fhall be limited to one feed, viz. the great garden-bean. Neither is the choice of this feed altogether arbitrary; for, after it begins to vegetate, its parts are more confpicuous than many others, and confequently better calculated for inveftigation. Tlfis feed is covered with two coats or membranes. The
