.^6 Letter from Sir George S, I*PKcn%icy Bart. Feb. 



uo not intend to enter into tlie confcqiiences of this ; I may fay, 

 however, that it is probable the fyftem of pallurage will increafe, 

 till fuch time as corn becomes a fcarce coiumodit}'-. When corn 

 "Ix'comes fcarce, its price may induce farmers to break up their 

 paftures : But for the difcullion of the manner in which the pri- 

 ces of meat and corn come to balance each other, and other points 

 of political economy connected therewith, I have not at prefent 

 teifure ; nor, if 1 had leifiire, have I ability. My principal ob- 

 ject in troubling you with this letter, is, to propofe, what I think 

 would be a valuable addition to the Farmer's Magazine, to formi 

 which, I doubt not of your receiving very ample materials from 

 vour numerous readers and correfpundents : My propofal is this, 

 'that, to the other valuable matter ufually contained in the Ma- 

 iraiine, be added, a report from every county in Scotland, of the 

 price of labour, not only in eacli individual county, but in dif- 

 ferent dirtricfs of the fame county. To this mull be added, the 

 prices of meal, meat, and bread. 



In detailing tlie prices of the different kinds of labour, the 

 prime milft be dillinguiflied from ordinary hands, and the prices 

 of piece-work ought to be noticed. All thefe might be reduced 

 into the form of a table, which, if you approve of my propofal, 

 T leave for you to conflrucl: in fuch a form as fliall be, in your 

 own opinion, beft fuited to the fize of the work. 



It would be an infitlt to your judgment and good fenfe, to de- 

 tail the advantages which the kingdom will derive from the ex- 

 Jiibition of thefe reports. I will not therefore take up your time 

 longer, than to cxprefs a hope, that government will endeavour to 

 obviate anevil, which, without great caution, will undoubtedly arife 

 out of the magnificent projects for the im.provement of the High- 

 lands : That evil is railing the price of labour. If wages are gi- 

 ven by government, higher than the average of the whole High- 

 lands, the moft ruinous effedts will follow. I have made an at- 

 tempt to have this hinted to thofe appointed to manage the mo- 

 ney already voted for the grand purpofes alluded to ; and men- 

 tion the circumfiance now, that the evil, which perhaps may not 

 have been thought of by many in their enthufiaftic eagernefs for 

 the accompliihment of the Caledonian canal, and other underta- 

 kmgs, may be obviated by united precautionary mcLifures. I 

 am. Sir, your well wiftier and humble fervant^ 



Coul, 20th Dmc, 1803. 



George S. Mackenzie. 



I^OTE BY THE CONDUCTOR. 



We cordially agree with our refpeftable correfpondent con- 

 cerning the evil attending the late enormous rif3 upon the wages 



of 



