author
Henry F. (Henry Flagg) French
1813–1885
A restless 19th-century American reformer, he moved easily between law, public service, and practical farming science. He is best remembered for helping popularize agricultural drainage so successfully that the term "French drain" still carries his name.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Chester, New Hampshire, in 1813, Henry Flagg French built an unusually varied career as a lawyer, judge, writer, inventor, and agricultural advocate. He studied at Dartmouth and Harvard Law School, then went on to hold a number of public roles, including service as a judge and later as an assistant secretary of the U.S. Treasury.
French had a lasting influence on American agriculture. He strongly promoted scientific farming and wrote about drainage, soils, and rural improvement at a time when those subjects were becoming increasingly important to farmers. His 1859 book Farm Drainage became especially well known, and his work is closely associated with the drainage system that came to be called the French drain.
He also played a part in agricultural education as the first president of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, now the University of Massachusetts Amherst, though he served only briefly. For audiobook listeners, he stands out as one of those energetic 19th-century figures whose writing grew directly out of real work in the field, blending practical advice with a broad reforming spirit.