Ag Journals: Table of Contents

Pre-1860

• 1829 Arb. Matthew, P. “Some account of the fruits grown in Gourdiehill orchard, Carse of Gowrie, with remarks“. Memoirs Calid. Hort. Soc. Vol 4 (1829), pp.467-477. In a letter dated 3 Dec 1827, Matthew describes the qualities of various varieties of apples and pears. He also describes a phenomenon of intermediate phenotype arising from grafting.
• 1831 Arb. Matthew, P. “On pruning“. Quart. J. Ag. Vol 3 (1831/1832), pp.300-8. Matthew criticises the pruning techniques of Gavin Cree, which are in contrast to those advocated in “On Naval Timber and Arboriculture”.
• 1849 Econ/Des. Matthew, P. “Improved management of landed property“. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. Sept 22 1849, p.604. Matthew criticizes the British land tenure system because it stifles competition. He notes “the desire to excel in competition [is] implanted in our nature for wise ends”.
• 1854 Arb. Matthew, P. “Wellingtonia“. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. June 10 1854, p.373. Matthew relays a letter from one of his sons (John D. Matthew) regarding the discovery and description of a “Wellingtonia” (Sequoia or Giant Redwood) tree found in California.

1860

• 1860a Ag/Mould Matthew, P. “How to grow red clover on clay land”. Farm. Mag. Ser. 3 Vol 17 (1860), pp.406-7. Matthew writes from his experience on best practices for growing red clover. He also refers to the importance of maintaining a good “vegetable mould” in agriculture.
• 1860b Evol/Des Matthew, P. “Origin of species”. Farm. Mag. Ser. 3 Vol 18 (1860), pp.30-2. Matthew writes on his version of the evolutionary origin of species by natural selection. He writes of a purposeful, designed universe.
• 1860c Ag Matthew, P. “Pleuro-pneumonia — neglect of the legislature and government”. Farmer’s Gazette (Ireland) Saturday 11 August 1860, p.16-17. Matthew blames “neglect of the legislature and government” for failing to deal with outbreaks of bovine TB (“pleuro-pneumonia”) more decisively.
• 1860d Ag Matthew, P. “Wheat sowing. Prevention of slug depredation – rooting of cereals”. Farm. Mag. Ser. 3 Vol 18 (1860), p.428. Matthew writes on how to prevent slug damage to cereal crops, with some notes on “primary and secondary rooting in cereals”.
• 1860f Arb/Mould Matthew, P. “Forest clearances”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. Dec 15 1860, pp.1105-6. Matthew writes on the negative effect that clearing forests has on the climate.

1861

• 1861a Ag Matthew, P. “Change of seed: utility of change of place, and change of air and soil, to organic life”. Farm. Mag. Ser. 3 Vol 19 (1861), pp.153-4. Matthew writes on the benefits of a change of soil and climate to crops.
• 1861b Ag/Evol/Des/Sun Matthew, P. “Utility of change of place in seed, and still more in life continued by tubers or cuttings. The stages of life of the seedling potato continued by tuber cuttings”. Farm. Mag. Ser. 3 Vol 19 (1861), pp.283-5. Despite its unpresuming title, Matthew writes much on evolution here. He does not believe natural selection capable of evolving complex organs.
• 1861c Econ/Mould Matthew, P. “Greatest national evil. The system on land occupancy in Britain incompatible with improvement”. Farm. Mag. Ser. 3 Vol 19 (1861), pp.388-91. Matthew criticizes the British land tenure system because it stifles competition and leads to mismanagement of the “vegetable mould”.
• 1861d Evol/Race Matthew, P. “Hints on the cultivation of race: a chapter of the recent history of Europe: effects of war on race”. Farm. Mag. Ser. 3 Vol 19 (1861), pp.458-9. Matthew writes of his views of the evolution of human races, and how war can act as an agent of selection.
• 1861e Ag Matthew, P. “Cause of old age in life continued by grafting; and the means of prevention”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 20 Apr 1861, p.362. Matthew writes on ageing in plants.
• 1861f Ag Matthew, P. “The potato blight, and harvest prospects in the North”. Farm. Mag. Ser. 3 Vol 20 (1861), p.99. Matthew describes the potato blight in northern Germany, and the prospects for Scotland. He also speculates on electricity, and artificial rain-making.
• 1861g Ag Matthew, P. “Crops in Northern Germany and Scotland”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 10 Aug 1861, pp.741-2. Matthew reports on crop conditions in Germany and Scotland. He also speculates on electricity, and artificial rain-making.
• 1861h Ag/Evol Matthew, P. “The potato”. Farm. Mag. Ser. 3 Vol 20 (1861), pp.196-7. Matthew describes his knowledge of potato growing, then considers the various modes of reproduction that “genial Nature takes to continue the species”. He also speculates on electricity.
• 1861i Evol/Race Matthew, P. “Man in Paradise, subject to nature’s law of selection and without the knowledge of good and evil”. Farm. Mag. Ser. 3 Vol 20 (1861), p.241. Matthew presents his views on the transition from “savage” to “civilized” man, one key change being the relaxation of natural selection, another being the acquisition of morals.
• 1861j Ag/Econ/Evol Matthew, P. “National prospects”. Farm. Mag. Ser. 3 Vol 20 (1861), p.357-8. Matthew discusses the bad harvest in Britain and Europe, and its implications. He also describes the evils of British land tenure, and the importance of good land drainage. He also lists predictions of his that have been disregarded: natural selection, the Irish Great Famine, and iron-clad gunships.
• 1861k Econ/Des Matthew, P. “The greatest national evil”. Farm. Mag. Ser. 3 Vol 20 (1861), p.406-7. Matthew rails against the evils of the British system of land tenure. He notes that even evil serves some purpose, in a designed universe.

1862

• 1862a Ag/Econ/Mould Matthew, P. “Arterial drainage”. Farm. Mag. Ser. 3 Vol 22 (1862), p.101-3. Matthew writes again of his experience in land drainage, the illogic of a tile tax, the evils of the British system of land tenure, and the detrimental consequences in failing to preserve the “vegetable mould”.
• 1862b Econ/Evol/Race/Sun Matthew, P. “The greatest national evil”. Farm. Mag. Ser. 3 Vol 22 (1862), p.218-20. Matthew writes again on the evils of the British system of land tenure. He speculates that the behaviour of the British “landlord-legislator” class is the result of natural selection gone wrong. He also notes the power of the sun to drive progressive evolution.
• 1862c Econ/Des/Mould Matthew, P. “The greatest national evil remedy”. Farm. Mag. Ser. 3 Vol 22 (1862), p.298-9. Matthew repeats his views on the evils of the British system of land tenure, and its negative effect on the “vegetable mould”. His solution is to tax ‘failing’ estates more. He notes again that even evil has some purpose in a designed universe.
• 1862d Econ/Evol Matthew, P. “Protection to property”. Farm. Mag. Ser. 3 Vol 22 (1862), p.299-300. Matthew repeats his views on the evils of the British system of land tenure, and speculates that the “landlord-legislator” elite may have regressed back to a “savage” state of mankind, explaining their lack of morals.
• 1862e Econ/Evol/Des/Mld Matthew, P. “Protection to property”. Farm. Mag. Ser. 3 Vol 22 (1862), p.412-3. Matthew repeats his views on the evils of the British system of land tenure, including the mismanagement of the “vegetable mould”. He predicts a civil revolution if it is not corrected in time. He speculates on a separate evolutionary history for the “landlord-legislator” elite. He lists, once again, predictions of his that have been disregarded. In a footnote, he explains why he did not publicise his evolutionary ideas more after “On Naval Timber and Arboriculture”.
• 1862f Ag Matthew, P. “Drainage”. Ohio Cultivator Vol 18 (1862), p.292-3. Matthew writes again on best practices for draining agricultural land.

1863-64 Vegetable Mould

• 1863 Mould + Edit Matthew, P. “The exhaustion of vegetable mould”. Farm. Mag. Ser. 3 Vol 23 (1863), p.214-6. Matthew’s widely-read article predicting disaster to British agriculture from mismanagement of the “vegetable mould”. This originally appeared anonymously in The Times (6 Jan 1863), and is here reproduced in the Farmer’s Magazine, together with an editorial and a letter from Charles Lawrence, both casting doubt on the doomsday scenarios of both Matthew and Baron Liebig.
• 1864a Mould + Edit Anonymous. Untitled. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 2 Jan 1864, p.13. Editorial revealing that the anonymous author of The Times article was Matthew. Letters exchanged between Matthew and Baron Liebig are made public. Liebig is scathing of both Matthew and farmers in general.
• 1864b Mould/Edit Anonymous. Untitled. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 23 Jan 1864, pp.81-2. Editorial siding with Matthew against Liebig. Another letter from Liebig is printed, in which Liebig uses royal approval in order to try and win a scientific point.
• 1864c Mould/Edit Anonymous. “IV – M. Liebig et l’agriculture en Angleterre et en Allemagne – Lois de la valeur des engrais”. Journal d’Agriculture Pratique Vol 28:1 (1864, Jan-Jun), pp.117-120. Editorial in a French agricultural journal on the Matthew-Liebig spat, again supporting Matthew.
• 1864d Mould Matthew, P. “Baron Liebig versus the vegetable mould”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 23 Jan 1864, p.83. Matthew quotes from Liebig’s letter to him, from a paragraph that was not printed in the original Editorial (1864a). This again indicates that Liebig seems to attach great importance to his royal approval. Matthew criticises Liebig’s views regarding the soil vs the atmosphere as sources of nutrients for plants.
• 1864d.2 Mould/Edit Editorial. Dundee Advertiser 5 Feb 1864, p.2 col.4-5. Editorial in Matthew’s local newspaper (the Dundee Advertiser), heavily criticizing Liebig for his ungracious attitude to Matthew over the Vegetable Mould affair.
• 1864e Mould/Sun Matthew, P. “The vegetable mould”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 20 Feb 1864, pp.178-9. Matthew recapitulates his arguments for his position on the exhaustion of the vegetable mould. He also refers to his views on the Sun as a vital force on progressive evolution. He pokes fun at Liebig in a memorable fantasy parable involving “the begrimed spectres of Liebig and his goblin followers”.
• 1864f Mould Matthew, P. “Vegetable mould”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 27 Feb 1864, p.203. In a letter dated the same day as the previous one, Matthew repeats his arguments on the exhaustion of the vegetable mould.
• 1864g Mould/Evol/Des Matthew, P. “The vegetable mould”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 2 Apr 1864, pp.323-4. Matthew repeats his arguments on the exhaustion of the vegetable mould. He also writes on progressive, designed evolution, and the part that the vegetable mould may have played in it.
• 1864h Mould Matthew, P. “The vegetable mould”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 2 Apr 1864, p.325. Matthew replies to a previous letter by J. J. Melchi which defended Liebig’s viewpoint (but agreed that exhaustion of soil was a big problem).
• 1864i Mould Matthew, P. “The vegetable mould”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 16 Apr 1864, p.373. Matthew writes on how to preserve the vegetable mould.
• 1864j Mould/Edit Anonymous. “V.– Question des engrais. – Irrigations”. Journal d’Agriculture Pratique Vol 28:1 (1864, Jan-Jun), pp.444-5. Editorial showing that Matthew’s articles on the vegetable mould are still being noticed, and positively received, in this French agricultural journal.
• 1864k Mould Matthew, P. “The vegetable mould”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 7 May 1864, pp.443-4. Matthew reprises his defence of his views on the importance of the vegetable mould. He also muses on electricity, and on the nature of reality itself.
• 1864l Mould/Race/Evol Matthew, P. “The vegetable mould”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 28 May 1864, pp.514-5. Matthew reprises his defence of his views on the importance of the vegetable mould. There is a brief mention of theories of the peopling of Scotland and England by the Frieslanders and Angles. At the end, Matthew speculates on the method of reproduction in rye.
• 1864m Mould/Edit Anonymous. “Royal Agricultural of England”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 14 May 1864, pp.469-70. Report of a lecture by Prof. Augustus Voelcker, a former student of Liebig. Voelckler starts his lecture by strongly criticising the “vegetable mould theory”, which he sees as nothing more than an ignorant resurgence of “humus theory”.
• 1864n Ag Matthew, P. “Haymaking”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 2 Jul 1864, pp.638-9. Matthew corrects statements in a previous letter by a “Mr Mechi”.
• 1864o Ag Matthew, P. “Artesian Drainage”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 30 Jul 1864, p.736. Matthew relates how one of his ideas (this time the weight of earth and its effect on water pressure in artesian wells) was once again rejected (here by an unnamed “leading London magazine”).

post-1864

• 1865 Arb Matthew, P. “Climate in Scotland”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 16 Dec 1865, p.1179. Matthew complains about an editorial stating that good apples could not be found north of the Humber. Matthew also claims the climate in Britain has been growing colder.
• 1866a Arb/Edit Anonymous. “Notices to Correspondents: Names of fruits”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 6 Jan 1866, p.12. Brief editorial thanking Matthew in a matter concerning the correct naming of varieties of apple.
• 1866b Arb/Edit Anonymous. “Notices to Correspondents: Climate of Scotland”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. (3 Mar 1866), p.200. Brief editorial response to a letter from Matthew claiming that a previous editorial had “impugned his veracity”.
• 1866c Mould Matthew, P. “The Campagna of Rome”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 17 Mar 1866, p.252. Matthew wishes to correspond with another correspondent on the question of how to “correct the unwholesomeness of the surroundings of cities of ancient times”.
• 1866c.2 Ag Matthew, P. “Kale”. Nottinghamshire Guardian 29 Jun 1866, p.10 col.5. Matthew extolls the virtues of Kale.
• 1866c.3 Arb Matthew, P. “The Oak”. Nottinghamshire Guardian 6 Jul 1866, p.11 col.1-2. Matthew writes lyrically about the Oak tree, describes the Continental method of oak husbandry, and blames climate change for the disappearance of oak from Scotland.
• 1866d Arb/Edit Anonymous. “Notes on Conifers No. XIII, Sequoia (Wellingtonia) gigantra”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 15 Dec 1866, p.1191. The author notes that the sequoia (Giant Redwood) was first introduced to Europe by “Mr. John D. Matthew, son of Patrick Matthew, Esq. of Gourdie Hill, near Errol”.
• 1867a Econ/Mould Matthew, P. “Landlord and Tenant”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 15 June 1867, p.637. An open letter from Matthew to the Right Hon. the Earl of Clarendon, on the “pernicious system of farmer land occupancy” and the consequent mismanagement of the “vegetable mould” in British agriculture.
• 1867b Ag/Race/Econ Matthew, P. “German Agriculture”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 20 July 1867, p.771. Matthew reviews the weather and crop conditions in Germany. He then gives his thoughts on electricity, the evolution of beauty, the qualities of the Saxon and pre-Celtic races, and the evils of the British system of land tenure.
• 1867b.2 Econ/Mould Matthew, P. “An Errol Farmer on the Backwardness of Agriculture”. Dundee Courier 1 Aug 1867, p.2 col.6. Matthew warns once again against the current system of farm-tenure in Britain – “our greatest national evil” – for preventing “protection to capital” and “irrecoverably exhausting the vegetable mould, the mother of fertility”.
• 1867c Econ/Evol/Edit Anonymous. Untitled. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 2 Nov 1867, p.1126. A report of the only one of Matthew’s papers accepted for British Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Dundee in September 1867. Submitted to the “Economic Science and Statistics” section, it argues in favour of free trade and competition, and against fixed wages. Natural selection – “the great and universal law of Nature” – is used for comparison.
• 1868a Ag/Evol/Des/Sun Matthew, P. “Market goose! Unwholesome food and poisons”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 29 Feb 1868, p.219. Matthew attacks unnatural farming practices, and contrasts them to the natural scheme of things under natural selection. He speculates on the vital properties of the sun, and ends with a discussion of the use of poisons by different cultures and religions.
• 1868b Ag/Des Matthew, P. “Holstein: Crops in North Germany”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 8 Aug 1868, p.853. Matthew once again discusses the weather and crop conditions in Germany. He discusses frosts at night, and the factors ameliorating them, as an example of the “provision of nature” designed to protect plants from damage.
• 1868c Ag Matthew, P. “Remarkable Potato Plums”. Dundee Courier 21 Aug 1868, p.3 col.2. A brief report of a letter from Matthew, describing the remarkably large potatoes grown by his son Alexander under the “Gulich system”.
• 1868d Ag Matthew, P. “Potato Culture”. Dublin Evening Mail 14 Sep 1868, p.1 col.5-6. Matthew describes the “Gulich system” of potato cultivation, which produces larger tubers than the standard system.
• 1870a Ag Matthew, P. “Water supply to cities”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 30 Apr 1870, p.598. Matthew considers the beneficial effects of particulates such as earth or clay in the water supply.
• 1870b Des Matthew, P. “The gem in the head of the toad”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 28 May 1870, p.736. Matthew discusses the existence of beauty in the universe, and possible causes. The rest of the article deals with good and bad odours, an encounter with a toad, and a condemnation of organised religion.
• 1870c Ag/Edit Anonymous. Untitled. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 3 Sept 1870, pp.1194-5. An editorial recounting Matthew’s recollections of droughts in 1800 and 1826.
• 1872a Mould/Des/Sun Matthew, P. “Vegetation versus miasma”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 2 Mar 1872, pp.286-7. Matthew writes about “miasma fever”, thought to result from noxious vapours or “miasma”. Matthew proposes that miasma arises from an over-productive vegetable mould, and the solution may be to plant trees to curtail this. He notes how the inter-connected dependencies of animals and plants display “means to end”, and describes the vitalising “sun-ray power” of the Sun.
• 1872b Arb/Edit Anonymous. “Notes on Conifers – XV”. Gard. Chron. Ag. Gaz. 14 Dec 1872, p.1655. Another reference to the Sequoia (Giant Redwood) being introduced to Britain “by a son of Mr. Matthews, Gourdiehill”.