John Shirreff facts for kids

John Shirreff (born 1759, died 1818) was a Scottish writer who focused on farming. He helped improve farming methods and wrote many reports and articles about agriculture.

John Shirreff's Early Life and Farming Career

John Shirreff grew up in East Lothian, Scotland. His father was a farmer. When he was young, John worked as a merchant in the West Indies.

After his father passed away, John returned home. He took over the family farm at Captainhead, near Haddington. In 1793, he was chosen to help with an important project. He joined two other farmers from East Lothian. Their job was to study farming in the West Riding of Yorkshire. This was for special reports about agriculture in different areas. These reports were made for the Board of Agriculture.

Farming Improvements and New Ideas

John Shirreff was always looking for ways to make farming better. He tried out new machines, like a threshing-machine that used wind power. He also experimented with a bone-mill.

He tried to introduce a new type of plant food called bone-dust to Scotland. This was a kind of fertiliser made from bones. However, he was not successful in getting farmers to use it widely.

Later, John rented out his farm to someone else. He moved to places in and around Edinburgh, like Craigside and Abbey Hill. From there, he continued to write about farming topics.

In his final years, Shirreff lived in the countryside. He helped manage the large farms of some important people. He passed away on November 2, 1818. He was buried in the churchyard at Prestonkirk, in East Lothian.

John Shirreff's Writings and Reports

John Shirreff wrote many important books and articles. One of his first major works was a detailed report called General View of the Agriculture of the West Riding of Yorkshire. He wrote this in 1794 with Robert Brown and George Rennie. They were also farmers from his home area.

Later, Shirreff wrote similar reports about the farming in Orkney and Shetland. These were published in 1804.

In 1801, John Shirreff won an award from the Board of Agriculture. He received this prize for an essay he wrote. It was about the "Best Mode of cropping Old Pasture Grounds," which means the best way to grow crops on old grazing lands.

He also wrote for the London Society of Arts. He shared information about the osier plantations on his farm at Captainhead. Osier is a type of willow tree often used for baskets. Shirreff also wrote many small books called pamphlets. He contributed articles to magazines like the Farmer's Magazine and Scots Monthly Magazine.