i8o4' Retrospective Pl'ew of Agriculture— Cuithncs a, 5 



ty, he offered a rent of L. 40 per annum, for 190 acres, in that 

 part of the common which happened to be in his neighbour- 

 hood. The lease is ratlier long, namely, for 31 year'-. ; but 

 it was desirable to encourage an active and judicloui im- 

 prover, who began ploughing his new farm ahnost before, the 

 ink was dry upon his Icuse j and tliough the land v/as in- 

 trinsically valuable, yet this was the first instance, in that 

 part of the kingdom, of drawing such a rent from a tract of 

 land that formerly had yielded notliing. 



5. Sheep Fariiiing, 



It was generally believed that Caithness was but ill adapt- 

 ed for a sheep stock ; and when not only sheep w^ere intro- 

 duced into the Highland parts of the county, but also so su- 

 perior a breed as the Cheviot, it was foretold, both in th'j 

 southern, and in the northern parts of Scotland, that the plan 

 could never answer, and that it w'ould necessarily be attended 

 Avith considerable, loss. The attempt, how^ever, -has been 

 'most successfully carried on for several years ; and, with a 

 view of ascertaining the practical effects of the experiment, 

 the grazings that were put under sheep, were advertised to be 

 let. The commencement of a war is certainly an unfavour- 

 able time for letting land, more especially at such a distance 

 from the metropolis ; but the success of the sheep svstem, in 

 those parts, was so uncontrovertibly established, that some of 

 these grazing?, which ten years ago had only paid L. 87, 16 s. 

 a year, were let at L. 600 per annum ; and, in the opinion of 

 intelligent men, were w^orth L. 100 more. It was thought 

 adviseable, however, to give peculiar encouragement to the 

 first farmer (Mr James Anderson), who resolved to carry on 

 a new system, on so extensive a scale, in so remote a district ; 

 more especially, as he was likely to do ample ju-tice to the 

 plan. A higher rent will be obtained for the other grazings 

 still to let in the same neighbourhood ; and, on the whole, 

 there is reason to believe that no agricultural improvement 

 has hitherto been made, with more prolitable results ; a trace 

 of country having been thus raised from a rent under L. 2cc, 

 to above L. 1200 per annum. 



It is earnestly requested, that Highland proprietors, more 

 especially those with moderate incomes, will make tliemselves 

 masters of a plan, which experience has thus sanctiontjd \ and 

 by which, at a moderate expence, they will not only render 

 themselves and their families opulent, but will liicewise Qteat- 

 ly promote tlic industry, and increase the wealth of their 

 country. 



A3 6. Cattle. 



