^4 C^;z the Hiishanihy of Ayr shir f. Teh. 



'■tbougli there is no doubt a confidcrable mixture of clay, yet 

 A\'hat is called loam niDre geuerally prevails ; at lead more fo 

 than in Kyle, whicli is pdmoll univerlally a IhlT clay ; and in 

 l)oth, the foil lies upon a bed of till, of many fathoms depth, 

 ;totaUy impenetrable by water. 'In Carrick, (which is feparated 

 from Kyle by the river ;Doon,) the foil in j^eneral is more of a 

 Fight and free nature, v/hat is ufualiy called a hazel mould, lying 

 upon a rock or gravel bottom. The two 'iirll feem more adapt- 

 ed for frequent aration, producing weightier crops of grain; 

 ^the latter for cattle pafture. 



Throughout this whole county, much, no doubt, has already 

 l)een done iti the way of^improvement, -but mudh yet remains to 

 i>e done, tolbring it to that itatc of perfe.3:ion cf which it is evi- 

 dently iufccptible. 



Before givinj^ nn account of the (late of agriculture in 

 this county, endmg with the year 1 803, I have a great in- 

 -<:lination to give you a'lbort Iketch of the hiitory and progrefs of 

 agriculture therein. Thehiilory of improvement in every county 

 in Scotland, ;Che means ^by which it has been aGcompliibed, tlie 

 inoli approved fpraiftice, with regard to tillage, manure, rotation 

 •of crops, &c. with the general and particular effecls of all thofe 

 upon fociety, and uport proprietors and tenants, thefe are highly 

 ■defirable, not only as matters cf curiofity, but as lubje^ls of ufe- 

 ful fpeculation, tpbe treated of in your Magazine, and conducing 

 «o ftili greater improvement than has yet any Where ^een attain- 

 ed. This vieW;of the subjeft is of fiich magnitude and impor- 

 tance, that it requires a founder head and »nore experience than 1 

 profef?, to treat it as it ought to be. But having been accullom- 

 ■td to ol>fcrve the Itate of this county at leaft for 4c years pafl, 

 tmd poifeiTmgXome knowledge of tlie principal i?.f\.s which led to its 

 prelent flatc; I ihall as briefly as J can, give you tlie hillory of 

 Agriculture during, that period ; and then fuggeil a few things 

 •.which, in my opinion, would tend to itc future melioratiQu. 



About 40 or 43 years ago, there was little improvement in 

 "thisfcounty of any JJnd. The land indeed was ploughed, in or- 

 der to '.raife food for man and bealt, but that was nearlj' all that 

 was done. As far as the eye could reach, there was not an in- 

 clofure to te feen, except immediately round gentlemens honfes. 

 The half (larved cattle were herded through the day, and inclofed in 

 folds or houfes at night, till the crop was lifted, when they 

 were allowed to roam at large. The old baroarous cull om of 

 out-field and in-field -was univerfal : The produce was fcanty ; 

 the rent trifling, and the capital of agriculturifts next to nothing. 

 Land which now fcts from 2 to 3 pounds an acre was then 

 diought ridiculoully extravagant at 7s. and 7s. 6d. And, to add 



to 



