Discursos apresentados à Meza da Agricultura sobre varios objectos relativos à cultura, e melhoramento interno do Reino: Traduzidos da Lingua Ingleza debaixo dos auspicios e ordem de Sua Alteza Real o Principe Regente Nosso Senhor

This is the translation of an original book in English, containing a collection of articles presented to the Board of Agriculture, an association aiming to promote the development of British agriculture. The book is divided into two chapters, which match two distinct subjects. The first addresses rural buildings that support agricultural activities such as granaries, mills, stables or places for storing seeds. In a didactic way, all the authors try to demonstrate the best construction methods and the most suitable location for these kinds of buildings. The second focuses on the labourers with the ambition to make this social class more productive. Among other solutions, it is proposed: cottage improvements, reform of the Poor Law or transformation of the labourers towards a small landowner “bourgeoisie”.  

At least three factors make this reading especially interesting. One is the technical development of the British agricultural sector, at the time a world leader. Then, the thought of the elites towards the most disadvantaged rural classes and their ideas of “social engineering” that one and a half a century later will be tried in Portugal something that also made sense to some Portuguese elites. Finally, the way scientific knowledge circulated during the 18th century, knowing the book was published in Portugal only 4 years after the British edition.

C.M.F.