In 1700, the agriculturalist Jethro Tull invented an improved seed drill that allowed seeds to be sown accurately in neat rows. This was a revolutionary development and made farming much more economical as fewer seeds were needed to produce a greater yield – sowing by hand causing too much wastage. Tull also wrote several books on husbandry, offering much practical advice for farmers, which helped to usher in what was to become known as the Agricultural Revolution in Britain.

Despite his advances in the field, there were some who criticised his methods. This book by the French agriculturalist Simon-Philibert de La Salle de l’Etang drew on the author’s 30 years of experience to attempt to refute Tull’s methods.