1610 J. Donne Pseudo-martyr iv. 139 As though there had beene sowed in her at first certaine seedes of Iure Diuino, which now in our age, by the cultiuating, and watering, and industry of the Iesuites must fructifie.

1668 Bp. J. Wilkins Ess. Real Char. Ep. to Rdr. The Cultivating of that part of Learning.

1758 tr. N. Horrebow Nat. Hist. Iceland iv. 7 The fisheries..yield a better maintenance than the produce of the land, the cultivating of which has not been much attended to since the dreadful plague.

1770 W. Hooper tr. J. F. von Bielfeld Elements Universal Erudition III. xxv. 409 Assemblies of men..who are united in the cultivating of some particular parts of science.

1837 Perth (Austral.) Gaz. 21 Oct. 994 All he had to provide for in the first instance, was..the clearing and cultivating of a few acres of land.

1879 Methodist Q. Rev. July 571 The strengthening and cultivating of the family must always remain the beginning and the aim of all social reforms.

1922 T. F. Reilly in F. Tice Pract. Med. VI. iv. iii. 172 The only treatment lies in prevention, i.e., the cultivating of the mental attitude that will act as an antidote to hurry.

1982 J. R. Dull Franklin the Diplomat i. 5 He found little or no use for many of his familiar tactics—the use of the merchant community for lobbying,..the cultivating of legislators.

2011 S. Day Untamed Garden 57 Josephine took up gardening with rapturous zeal.., no longer content to leave the choosing and cultivating of new rose specimens to her retinue of gardeners.

1695 N. Tate Elegy John Archbishop Canterbury 4 The copious Learning, and the ready Parts, The pregnant Wit, and cultivating Arts.

1700 J. Elsum Epigrams Paintings Eminent Masters xxv. 20 And rude things may require thy Care, Thy cultivating Hand will make them fair.

1772 J. Marshall Travels 1768–70 I. x. 319 The riches of a cultivating people..depend upon the easy circumstances of the inhabitants of cities.

1806 T. S. Surr Winter in London I. i. 108 The close-cropt grass..showed the hand of cultivating care.

1891 Educ. Rev. 1 140 The instruction..is in no wise so broad or cultivating as the corresponding study beyond the ocean.

1915 Bull. Metrop. Mus. Art 10 201/2 Eager desire on the part of the authorities of the Museum..to make the institution a powerful and cultivating influence in the life of the city.

2010 A. Bigelow Sharing Sacred 285 This caste is the primary cultivating class among the Muslim population.