24 ON THE AGRICULTUEE OF THE COUNTY OF SUTHERLAND. 



crop. The introduction of the potato in the first instance 

 proved no blessmg to Sutherland, but only increased the state 

 of wretchedness, inasmuch as its cultivation required less 

 labour, and it was the means of supporting a denser population. 

 The cultivation of this root was eagerly adopted ; but being 

 planted m places where man never would have fixed his habita- 

 tion but for the adventitious circumstances already mentioned, 

 this delicate vegetable was of course exposed to the inclemency 

 of a climate for which it was not suited, and fell a more ready 

 and frequent victim to the mildews and the early frosts of the 

 mountains, wliich frequently occur in August, than did the oats 

 and here. This was particularly the case along the course of the 

 rivers, near wliicli it was generally planted on account of the 

 superior depth of soil. The failure of such a crop brought 

 accumulated evils upon the poor people in a year of scarcity, 

 and also made such calamities more frequent; for, in the same 

 proportion as it gave sustenance to a larger number of inhabi- 

 tants when the crop was good, so did it dash mto misery in years 

 when it failed a larger number of helpless and suffering objects. 

 As often as this melancholy state of matters arose, and upon an 

 average it occurred every third or fourth year to a greater or 

 less degree, the starving population of the estate became neces- 

 sarily dependent for their support on the bounty of the land- 

 lord The cattle which they reared on the mountains, and 



from the sale of which they depended for the payment of their 

 rents, were of the poorest description. During summer they 

 procured a scanty sustenance with much toil and labour by 

 roaming over the mountains ; wdiile in Avinter they died in 

 numljere for the want of support, notwithstanding a practice 

 which was univei"sally adopted of killing every second calf on 

 account of the want of winter keep. To such an extent did this 

 calamity at times amount, that in the spring of 1807 there died in 

 the parish of Kildonan alone 200 cows, 500 hmd of cattle, and 

 more than 200 small horses." 



The removal of these small tenants has already been briefly 

 referred to, and it will now suffice under this head to say that 

 the improved system of sheep-farming, which dates in Suther- 

 land fiom 1806, had by 1825 spread over the whole county, 

 including the straths formerly occupied by the small tenants ; 

 that by the latter date an improved system of husbandry had 

 been introduced on the arable farms, and that a spirit of advance- 

 ment had sprung uj) among all classes of the inhabitants, which 

 has raised the county into its present highly creditable position 

 in regard to both arable and pastoral farming. 



