William Ellis (writer on agriculture)

[3] His early works brought him into 'repute,' and many applications were made to him by landed proprietors in all parts of the country to visit and report on their farms.

Many eager farmers, led by his fame and his books, proceeded to visit Ellis's farm, but found, to their surprise and disappointment, that he did not carry out any of the views which he advocated in print, that his implements were old-fashioned, and that his land was neglected and in bad condition.

Gradually he advanced to monthly works and more voluminous productions, in which, to fill up his stipulated number of pages, he was driven to introduce those ridiculous anecdotes and unnecessary details which have so much marred his writings.

But the editor of his last book was compelled before printing it to exclude many foolish stories of gipsies, thieves, and the like, also many absurd nostrums and receipts, evidently only inserted to fill space.

It treats the meliorating of soils, the grains, grasses, cows, sheep, and suckling of calves; pigeons and rabbits; forest trees; manures, hops, foreign wheats; comparison of different methods of farming.

The author recommends horse-hoeing of peas and beans, and burnt clay as a manure, and seems fully aware of the vast benefit to light lands from consuming the turnips on the ground by sheep.

Manures are mentioned, but not at much length, and hops are noticed; the comparison of the farming of different counties; states the practices of use, but does not enter into the merits of preference.

[3] Chiltern and Vale Farming explained forms an octavo volume of 400 pages; and treats the cropping of sour clay lands, with the common grain and leguminous plants; the natural and artificial grasses; ploughing in general; seeds; weeds; liquor for a corn steep; horse-hoeing; turnips, use and value; manures in general.

The management of the works is confused; the planting of oak and fruit trees being introduced in the very middle of a book on arable lands.