1^6 On the Husbandry of Ayrshire, Feh, 



ruinous it ultimately proved to many individuals, was a 

 great benefit to the county at large ; for, fiom the eafe 

 ?.nd readinefs with which it furnifhed credit to almoft all defcrip- 

 tions of people, it enabled both landlords and tenants to take ad- 

 vantage of their lituutions in u manner whicli they could not 

 otherwife have done. They procured money from the bank, and 

 laid it out upon the improvement of the county with the utmoft 

 eagernefs and liberality. Every one feemed to be roufed into 

 new life ; entered the lifts with the utmofl keennefs, and con- 

 tended with each other for the prize of honour and prolit. I 

 forbear to mention the names of nrtany who took the lead in this 

 noble caufe, lell I iliould do injuilice to others equally defer ving. 

 Only as Col. FuUarton, in his agricultural furvey of Ayrfhire, 

 has mentioned one venerable gentleman, (who 4S ftill alive,) to 

 whom the county is fmgularly indebted for its improvements, 

 neither he nor the other refpertable gentlemen of the county can 

 take umbrage that I follow fuch good authority as that of CoL 

 Fullarton. 



Mr Fairly of Fairly, poffelTed a confiderable property of his 

 own, and was befides CommilTioner over the exteniive and fer- 

 tile domains of the Earl of Eglinton. 1 quote the Colonel's ac- 

 count from memory, and, if 1 rightly remember, the method IVIr 

 Fairly adopted, was this : He took the whole of his property into 

 his own polfedion as loon as the tacks expired, inclofed, fubdi- 

 vided, and limed it at pleafure ; and as foon as he had accam- 

 pliflied thefe things, fet new leafes of it under reftn(Ftive plans ot' 

 cropping and management^ And having the like power of di- 

 rection and controLil over the ejlate of Eglinion, he prefcribed 

 the fame plan of cropping and management in every new leafe. 

 His fyllem was elteemed lo judicious, that it was readil\' 

 and rapidly follov«/ed by almoft every other proprietor in ihe 

 county. 



Though reftriclive claufes in leafes, which fetter the hands of 

 tenants, and prevent them from cultivating the ground to the 

 bell advantage, cannot be too much reprobated in an advanced 

 and enlightened flage of agriculture, yet, when tenants are igno- 

 rant, and comparatively poor, it is problematical, if it is not wile 

 and prudent both for proprietors and tenants, to bind them down 

 for a time, to follow a certain plan. Ignorance, prejudice, fel- 

 lirnnefs, and flraitened circumftances are formidable antagonills to 

 encounter. However this may be, the cultom adopted was a 

 19 years leafe, confining the tenant to three crops after liming, 

 v/ithout faying what tliefe crops ihould be, and the land to remain 

 fix years in grafs before it was broke up again ; fo that during 

 the whole courfe of a 19 years tack, a tenant could have no more 



than 7 crops of gtain from his farm Thefe regulations would 



not 



