COUNTIES OF EDINBUKGH AND LINLITHGOW. 11 



delicious flavour. Late in the year the agricultural landscape 

 often presents the varied and beauteous aspect of lingering sum- 

 mer, when many districts have been robbed of their charms and 

 swept bare by the surly blasts of chill [N'ovember. Within one 

 hundred years the climate has been much improved by the 

 drainage of wet moors and morasses ; and the "winds, which at 

 times sweep over the country, modified by judicious clumps of 

 trees or thriving belts of plantation. The summer heat is always 

 sufficient to impart a golden hue to the wheat crops, and enable 

 the farmer to ingather his cereals without, delay or difficulty, but 

 now and then a disastrous harvest occurs and does much injury 

 to the outstanding stooks. In 1872 the harvesting of grain was a 

 slow, troublesome, and expensive process, and considerable losses 

 were experienced by most arable farmers. The season alluded 

 to was, however, exceptional. As a further proof of the mildness 

 of a Lothian winter, we may note that early in January 1874, 

 Mr M'jSTab laid before the Botanical Society of Edinburgh no 

 less than 138 species of flowers in full bloom, culled from the 

 Eoyal Botanic Garden on Xew Year's Day. Of these 35 might, 

 he said, be considered as winter and spring flowers, while the re- 

 maining 103 might be looked upon as summer or autumn plants 

 still flowering. The rainfall is inconsiderable throuohout the 

 Lothians, but the annual average is much greater in Mid than 

 East Lothian. The average for nineteen years as shown at 

 Inveresk is 19*68. As we advance westward the rainfall is 

 greater, especially in the locality of the hills, where, oftentimes, a 

 shower is experienced when the weather is beautifully fine in 

 the low country. The annual mean rainfall in Edinburgh is 

 26 inches, but in the south and south-west districts it may be 

 computed at 30 to 40 inches. 



Geological Formation and Soils. 



The geological features are well varied, and thus form an 

 interesting]^ field of research for those who deliiiht in rock- 

 exploring pastimes. To describe these fully would take a much 

 larger space than we have at our disposal; nevertheless, as 

 the rocks are closely associated with the surface soils, and, 

 therefore, have a direct bearing upon the agriculture, a brief notice 

 of the leading characteristics may not be deemed ina])propriate. 

 An extensive coalfield, of which Dalkeith forms the centre, per- 

 vades a considerable portion of the Lothians, and has for ages 

 produced a large annual amount of this useful commodity for 

 fuel Extending through the whole of the south-east part of 

 Mid-Lothian are the Lammermuir Hills, which belong to the 

 Silurian formation, and consist almost entirely of f/neissic rocks. 

 The volcanic or igneous rocks are largely developed in this 

 county, much of the fertility of the soil being due to the exten- 



