John Donaldson

Smith's Steam Cultivator at Work, from Donaldson's British agriculture, 1860. John Donaldson (1799–1876) was a Scottish agriculturalist, professor of Botany at the Royal Agricultural Training School, Hoddesdon, government land drainage surveyor, and author of prize essays works, best known as author of the 1854 Agricultural Biography.

Biography Donaldson was born in Northumberland in 1799. He was probably related to James Donaldson (fl. 1794), writer on agriculture and land surveyor from Dundee, whose subjects he made his own.

In his early years in the 1820s Donalson had the management of large farms, and extensive estates, such as those of Loudon Castle in Ayrshire, and Donnington Park in Leicestershire, both in Scotland and England. In the 1840s Donaldson was appointed Head of Agricultural School at Hoddesdon, which at that time had just been established. In the title pages of his chief writings, Donaldson is described as "Professor of Botany" and "Government Land Drainage Survey." He was elected Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London. In the year after his death a posthumous work on 'Suburban Farming' was edited by Robert Scott Burn.

His chief writings Agricultural Biography, (1854) : contains a chronological series of articles on the life and writings of the British authors on agriculture, from the earliest date in 1480 until the mid 19th century. It was considered a very useful specimen of biographical grouping, though the notices are often merely bibliographical.

His 1860 British Agriculture : Cultivation of Land, Management of Crops, Economy of Animals, is an elaborate compilation dedicated to the Duke of Argyll.

Selected publications J. S. Bayldon, John Donaldson. Bayldon's art of valuing rents and tillages 5th edition, enlarged and rewritten by Donaldson, 1840. John Donaldson. A Treatise on Manures, 1842. John Donaldson. The Enemies to Agriculture, Botanical and Zoological: Being A Brief Account Of The Weeds, Quadrupeds, Birds, Insects, And Worms ... 1847. John Donaldson. Soils and Manures, 1851. John Donaldson. Improved farm buildings: comprising a series of designs of buildings, adapted to various sized farms, having especial reference to the recent scientific practice in agriculture M. Taylor, 1851. John Donaldson. Rudimentary treatise on clay lands and loamy soils, 1852 Edward Ryde, John Donaldson. A general text book for the constant use and reference of architects, engineers, surveyors, solicitors, auctioneers, land agents, and stewards ... J. Weale, 1854 John Donaldson. Agricultural Biography: containing a notice of the life and writings of the British authors on agriculture, from the earliest date in 1480 to the present time, 1854 John Donaldson. British Agriculture : Cultivation of Land, Management of Crops, Economy of Animals, 1860 John Donaldson, Robert Scott Burn. Suburban farming. With additions by R.S. Burn. 1877