Agronomie et innovation: Le cas Mathieu de Dombasle (1777-1843)

Christophe Joseph Alexandre Mathieu de Dombasle (1777-1843) was an agronomist from Lorraine who was recognized by is peers in 1821. His conception of a swing plough and the writing in French of the theory on the plough went down in history as the most innovating ones. The agronomist, along with the plough that bears his name, the famous Dombasle plough, are known first by the historians of the farming techniques and by the agronomist who are interested in the background of their discipline. Never had such a thorough and systematic paper been written about Mathieu de Dombasle so far. Our biography aims at grasping the agronomist's life and at the same time putting it back in its context in order to analyse a fragment of the process of institutionalisation of agronomy. Firstly, I will analyse Mathieu de Dombasle's backgrounds, the noblesse de robe from Lorraine, and his training as a chemist (he originally studied it at l'Ecole centrale of Nancy by 1795-1797). Thus, these points will help us understand how he progressively took up studying agriculture in general and later, soil. This analysis will aim at putting forward the characteristics of an agronomist's work at the beginning of the 19th century, through the innovating steps that succeeded, or failed, which ended up with the creation of the "Dombasle" swing plough. Nevertheless, how to explain Mathieu de Dombasle's success and world-famous character without going beyond his biography ? Secondly, we will try to explain the sources of his procedure and how he mentally organized the elements which allowed his realisations. As a matter of fact, the study of a new agriculture was necessary. The agronomist's procedure can only be understood if replaced in several configurations (as N. Elias views it) : on the realm scale with the new agriculture by Duhamel du Monceau along with the physiocratic movement ; on the region scale, the south of Lorraine (south of the Meurthe départment and the Vosges départment), where the old agricultural structures, and the new ones launched by a few landowners, like the intendant La Galaizière influenced his activity. And finally, on the Eropean scale : Mathieu de Dombasle always used Albrecht Thaër's process of work (a Prussion agronomist) or those of the Englishmen's Arthur Young and John Sinclair. He translated in French, and consequently distributed in France, some of Thaër and Sinclair's ideas. Thirdly, it is good to explain Mathieu de Dombasle's role in the centre of the institutionalisation process of agronomy in Lorraine. This process can be made in different ways like in Geography, for instance, within the Academies and the local learned society. The process of institutionalisation is also originally made in the framework of the exemplary farm in Roville-devant-Bayon (south of the Meurthe départment) created in 1822 by Mathieu de Dombasle, who became a farmer, and Antoine Bertier who owned the land. The farm became the place in which Mathieu de Dombasle developed new farming cultures along with the new plants he wanted to expand in large numbers. He successfully worked them out inside the farm. His example was followed by a few emulators such as Jean-Joseph Grangé, a swing-plough designer and Louis Poirot de Valcourt, who launched the dynamometer in the Lorraine region. Finally, innovation is at the core of Mathieu de Dombasle's procedure. Nevertheless, it mainly dealt with the distribution process but innovation did not deal with what was distributed and was wrongly often presented as "innovation", as the "Dombasle" swing plough showed it. The yearly publication The Annales Agricoles de Roville were about the conclusions of the land cultivations, which were led in the examplary farm. It was also about articles dealing with how to improve agriculture. Thus, the Annales Agricoles de Roville were one of the most efficient distribution processes. Some days were devoted to a visit of the exemplary farm : these agricultural meetings which took place in Roville, hoisted the regional farmers who attended to the display of materials. The tillage contests which were organised during the meetings gathered professionals and created the comices agricoles. But the most important distribution process remained the Farm School, one the first European structures of agricultural learning which was founded in 1826, in which Mathieu de Dombasle trained the landlords and the managers of the agricultural and agronomical learning by the middle of the 19th Century.C. J. A. Mathieu de Dombasle (1777-1843) est un agronome lorrain reconnu par ses pairs en 1821 pour la conception d'une charrue sans avant-train innovante, la fameuse charrue " Dombasle ", et pour la rédaction d'un Mémoire sur la charrue considéré comme la première théorie sur le fonctionnement de la charrue en langue française. A partir de 1822, il fonde, avec Antoine Bertier, la ferme exemplaire de Roville-devant-Bayon, où il élabore de nouvelles techniques de cultures et de nouveaux matériels aratoires. Les Annales Agricoles de Roville permettent la diffusion des résultats de ces opérations culturales. A partir de 1824, les réunions agricoles de Roville sont un facteur d'émulation important, prélude à la création des comices agricoles. Mais, l'apport le plus important de Mathieu de Dombasle reste encore l'Institut agricole fondé en 1826. C'est une des premières structures européennes d'enseignement agricole où les cadres de l'enseignement agricole et agronomique français de la seconde moitié du XIXe siècle ont été formés. Jamais une étude systématique et approfondie n'avait encore été réalisée au sujet de Mathieu de Dombasle. L'objet de cette biographie intellectuelle est de replacer sa vie dans ses multiples configurations afin d'analyser un moment du processus d'institutionnalisation de la discipline scientifique qu'est l'agronomie au début du XIXe siècle. Elle vise à montrer les caractéristiques d'un travail d'agronome au début du XIXe siècle à travers les procédés innovants qu'il met en œuvre. Contribution à l'histoire de l'agronomie, cet ouvrage apporte également de nouvelles pistes de réflexions épistémologiques pour l'agronomie actuelle à travers l'analyse des procédés d'innovation dans la première moitié du XIXe siècle