The Theory and Practice of the Drill-Husbandry; Founded upon Philosophical Principles, and confirmed by Experience. Illustrated with exact Drawings of all the Respective Parts, and a Perspective View of each Machine Complete.

First edition, 4to (285 x 220 mm), xvi, 244pp., with half-title, 9 folding engraved plates, the Lawes stamp at head of title, orig. boards scuffed, cloth reback, uncut. William Amos (c.1745ñ1825), Lincolnshire farmer and Agriculturalist writer. Amosís interest in new agricultural practices led him to undertake a series of crop trials from 1783 onwards, and these convinced him of the superiority of seed-drilling over the traditional broadcast method of sowing. As early as 1787 he was developing his own version of a drill-plough and he announced plans in that year for a book describing it; but his employerís death in 1788 and his subsequent move to Brothertoft in Lincolnshire as bailiff to Major John Cartwright (political reformer) delayed this project. While acting as bailiff and later as estate steward to Cartwright, Amos conducted further trials on his own farm as well as Cartwright's. Cartwright combined an active political career with a keen interest in agricultural improvement, and the collaboration between the two men over a period of fifteen years or so proved beneficial to both. It also brought Amos into contact with their close neighbour Sir Joseph Banks, who later described Amos as ëan honest man and an ingenious oneí, and with the agriculturist Arthur Young, who visited Cartwright's farm, saw some of Amos's inventions and remained in correspondence with him, obtaining a number of submissions from Amos for publication in his Annals of Agriculture. It was during this period of his life that Amos published his two books, The Theory and Practice of the Drill Husbandry and Minutes in Agriculture. (Wikipedia). Provenance: Early ink ownership signature of J. Linton at head of title; The Lawes Agriculture Library, Rothamsted Research Institute. Rothamsted, p. 12; Perkins, 43 (second edition); Goldsmiths'-Kress no. 18419 (second edition).