Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 34.djvu/188

 delivered in 1823 and 1826. His portrait by C. Lees was engraved by Quilley and by Warren. 

LOW, DAVID (1786–1859), professor of agriculture, eldest son of Alexander Low, land-agent, of Laws, Berwickshire, was born in 1786, and educated at Perth Academy and the university of Edinburgh. He assisted his father on his farms, and soon showed special aptitude as a land-agent and valuer. In 1817 he published ‘Observations on the Present State of Landed Property, and on the Prospects of the Landholder and the Farmer,’ in which was discussed the agricultural embarrassment caused by the sudden fall of prices on the cessation of the war. In 1825 he settled in Edinburgh, and in the following year the ‘Quarterly Journal of Agriculture’ was established at his suggestion; he edited it from 1828 to 1832. On the death of Professor Andrew Coventry in 1831 he was appointed professor of agriculture in the university of Edinburgh. His first step was to urge on the government the necessity of forming an agricultural museum. The chancellor of the exchequer, Mr. Spring Rice, consented in 1833 to allow 300l. a year for that purpose. Low contributed collections of his own, and employed William Shiels, R.S.A., to travel, taking portraits of the best specimens of different breeds of animals. Altogether 3,000l. were expended on the museum—1,500l. came from the government, 300l. from the Reid fund, and the rest from the professor's private resources. The museum led to increased attendance in the class of agriculture, which numbered from seventy to ninety students. To chemistry Low was also much devoted, and had a private laboratory. In 1842 he brought out a splendid work in two volumes, 4to, on ‘The Breeds of the Domestic Animals of the British Islands,’ with coloured plates. This was translated for the French government immediately on its appearance. Low resigned his chair in 1854, and died at Mayfield, Edinburgh, 7 Jan. 1859.

Besides the works already mentioned, Low was the author of:
 * 1) ‘Elements of Practical Agriculture,’ 1834; 4th edit. 1843; translated into French and German.
 * 2) ‘The Breeds of the Domestic Animals of the British Islands,’ London, 1842.
 * 3) ‘On Landed Property and the Economy of Estates,’ 1844.
 * 4) ‘An Inquiry into the Nature of the simple Bodies of Chemistry,’ 1844; 3rd edit. 1856.
 * 5) ‘Appeal to the Common Sense of the Country regarding the condition of the Industrious Classes,’ 1850.



LOW, GEORGE (1747–1795), naturalist, son of John Low, ‘kirk officer, and Isabel Coupar, his spouse,’ of a yeoman's family, which had long occupied the farm of Meikle Tullo, near Brechin (, Epitaphs and Inscriptions, 1875, p. 310), was born at Edzell, Forfarshire, early in 1747, and baptised on 29 March in that year (parish register of Edzell). He was educated first at Marischal College, Aberdeen, and afterwards at St. Andrews University. A remarkable commonplace book, written by him while at St. Andrews, entitled ‘A Cabinet of Curiosities,’ and dated 1766, is still extant in manuscript.

Low went to Orkney in 1768 as tutor to the sons of Robert Graham of Stromness, and he devoted the whole of the remainder of his life to the study of the natural history and antiquities of the island and archipelago. He commenced by careful observations of the birds and fishes, and also of the flora of the island, but embraced with especial ardour the study of microscopy, as it was then understood. He constructed a ‘water microscope’ (still preserved) with his own hands, and commenced in 1769 a series of ‘Microscopical Observations,’ illustrating his work with beautiful Indian-ink sketches. Isolated as he was from all direct communication with the scientific world, and possessing hardly any books, the zeal and penetration with which he conducted these pioneer studies can hardly be over-estimated. He also set to work about 1770 upon a ‘History of the Orkneys,’ in which he contemplated embodying accounts of the history and antiquities, as well as of the natural history and topography of the islands, and for this purpose translated Torfæus's ‘History of Orkney.’ Low was licensed as minister by the Presbytery of Cairston in 1771, but remained for two years longer at Stromness.

In 1772 Sir [q. v.] visited the Orkneys on his return from Iceland, in company with Dr. [q. v.] and Dr. [q. v.] By them Low was introduced to George Paton of Edinburgh, who lent him books, and to Pennant, with whom he commenced a learned correspondence, and from whom his antiquarian studies derived an important stimulus. In 1774 he made, at Pennant's expense, an extended