History of Agricultural Education in Wiltshire - Lackham Countryside ...

CHAPTER 1
SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION FROM
THE 14th CENTURY
Although Agriculture is the oldest and most important industry in Britain, no
organised Agricultural Education existed until the latter half of the 19th
Century. For many generations, children learnt from their parents, knowledge
and experience were handed down from one generation to the next. Several rich
and famous men, however, carried out field trials and experiments, and their
discoveries were made known through a few books, Agricultural Shows, Societies,
Clubs, competitions etc. No grant aid was available as we know it today. The
Rothamsted Research Station and the Royal Agricultural College were two
isolated examples of privately endowed establishments created in 1843 and 1845
respectively. Dauntseys School, West Lavington, founded in 1543, also included
Agriculture and Horticulture in its curriculum.
The following list of dates illustrates some of the major events in Agriculture
and the names of men who pioneered experiments by trial and error.
The first book on farming in English was written by Fitzherbert of Norbury in
1553 and was called the "Boke of Husbandry". He advocated the application of
plenty of "muck" and deep ploughing, followed by a spell of bare fallow. He was a
great believer in sheep and wrote they were "The moste profytablest cattell".
A second book was written in poetry by Thomas Tusser, 1524 - 1580. It was
entitled "A Hundreth Good Pointes of Husbandrie". Like Fitzherbert, he found
the application of "Compass" (muck) and bare fallow advantageous. Crops
mentioned were peas, hops and saffron.
Tusser's Advice:
''Where stones be too many annoying the land Make
servant come home with stone in his hand By daily so
doing, have plenty ye shall Both handsome for paving,
and good for a wall".
"If meadow be forward be mowing of some But mow
as the makers may well overcome Take heed to the
weather, the wind and the sky If danger approacheth