YOUNG, ARTHUR, an agricultural writer of some note in his day, was the third son of Dr Young, prebendary of Canterbury, and was born on the 7th of September 1741. After various changes, now as a merchant, anon as a student, and ultimately as a writer of books which would not sell, Young at last became a farmer in Essex, and instructed himself in the art of agriculture. In 1770 he published the results of his experiments in farming in two thick volumes. These works, although not eminent for their judiciousness and sagacity, yet possessed a certain degree of freshness and sparkling vivacity, and had at least the merit of being original, if they wanted the power to interest intelligent agriculturists. More popular were his Tour through the Southern Counties of England, his Six Weeks Tour, and his Eastern Tour. But the theoretical farmer and the parliamentary reporter to the Morning Post were found not to agree, and he was glad to give up his farm to a man who knew how to work it to advantage. In 1772, he commenced his useful work The Farmer's Calendar, and wrote besides, one or two political works, among others his Political Arithmetic, which has been translated into several foreign languages. In 1784 he published his Annals of Agriculture which reached some 45 vols. in all. He went over to France about 1788 and composed his Agricultural Survey of that country, and his Example of France a Warning to Britain, which had both a large sale. The agricultural works of Arthur Young were collected by order of the French Directory of 1801 and translated into French, and published in 20 vols. under the title of Le Cultivateur Anglais. After receiving vari-
ous medals from numerous agricultural societies, and gold snuff-boxes from one great personage and another, Young died on the 12th of April 1820 in his eightieth year.