6 ON THE AGRICULTURE OF THE COUNTY OF FIFE. 



A niontlily cattle market is held at Gupar, while similar fairs 

 take place at stated times at other parts of the county. During 

 the winter and spring grain markets are held weekly at all the 

 principal agricultural centres. The proximity and easy access, 

 however, to the Edinburgh markets make farmers less dependent 

 on the local fairs for the sale of their stock and grain than they 

 would otherwise be. 



Population. 



The following table shows the population of the county at 

 various stages during the past seventy-four years: — 



1801, . . . 93,743 



1811, . . . 101,272 



1821, . . . 114,556 



1831, . . . 128,839 



1841, . . . 140,140 

 1861, . . . 154,770 

 1871, . . . 160,735 



The increase since 1801, it will thus be seen, is 66,992 ; and 

 it is worthy of notice that the increase has been gradual and 

 constant. The number of inhabited houses in 1851 Avas 24,610, 

 now it is 27,056, and the number of separate families 38,038. 

 The present population is equal to about 313 to the square mile, 

 or little more than 2 to each acre ; or to put it exactly, 53 to 

 every 26 acres. The average number of persons to each house 

 is very close on 6. The topographical nomenclature — the touch- 

 stone of the ethnographer— of the county of Fife is sufficient to 

 demonstrate the fact that the aboriginal inhabitants were Celts. 

 The number of farms and places designated by Celtic names is 

 very large, and it is peculiarly interesting to note the striking 

 similarity that exists between the local names of Fife and those 

 of several of the northern counties of Scotland, a fact that speaks 

 of a similarity or kinshij) between the original inhabitants of 

 Fife and those of the north. The Horestii — the name given to 

 the tril)e of Celts that originally inhabited Fife, or rather the 

 peninsula of Ross — were not characterised by industry or enter- 

 prise, and like their kinsmen in the north must have had often 

 to be satisfied with a scanty meal ; for in those days Fife is de- 

 scribed as bavins been nothing else than an immense forest full 

 of swamps and morasses and inhabited by wild beasts. They 

 had no towns in their possession, but occupied hill forts, the 

 remains of many of which are still to be seen at several spots 

 throughout the county. The Horestii were almost wholly anni- 

 hilated by the Piomans, who in turn were succeeded by the Picts, 

 that ancient Celtic race, regarding whose origin and early history 

 so much has been written and spoken. Fifeshire formed part of 

 the southern boundary line of the Pictish territory, the English 

 having then possessed the Lothians and the independent Britons 

 the kingdom of Cumbria, while the Scots, another Celtic race 



