From botany to agriculture: The scientific network linking Great Britain, Spain and Italy in the late eighteenth century

This article analyses the contacts between Great Britain, Spain and the Italian States through which naturalists and agriculturists oriented their botanical knowledge towards the enhancement of crops and related products in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The British agricultural revolution and the studies conducted in botanical gardens and scientific societies meant England and Scotland were perceived as good models for Spain and Italy, despite the obstacles of language and geographical distance. Study journeys, the exchange of seeds and the circulation of specialized texts offered the Mediterranean experts useful means of refining their knowledge. This article examines the flow of information through a series of case studies, of how knowledge was absorbed and adapted, and the degree of articulation and reciprocity in the networks involved, aiming to pave the way towards future debate.