i)6 Agricultural Intelligence, Fdh. 



a fhortcrop, the inhabitants of the Zetland iflcs, are intltled to 

 the commiieration of their Scottifh brethren ; a^d we truft, that 

 the Imperial leglihiture will not be unattentive to their wants. 

 But when on this fubjccl, we cannot avoid remarking, that the 

 rurd and political economy of thefe ides, are Inimical to all im- 

 provement either of the foil or condition of the inhabitants; and 

 that iinlcfs a material change is introduced, a laf^ing benefit 

 cannot be conferred upon them. Thia will fulficiently appear by 

 the following extrafl from the flatiftical account of the parifh of 

 Walls and Saiidness, the ultiiiia Thule of the ancients, written 

 no farther back than 1797, by a gentleman who feems to be well 

 qualitied for defcribing the internal clrcumilances of this diilant 

 and neglected part of the Britifh empire. 



' Where manufadures and ufeful employments are eftablifhed, 



* the populoufaefs of a country forms its riches and Ifrength ; but 



* where thefe are wanting, too much population becomes its bur- 



* den. It is like a (hip's company reduced to fhort allowances. 



* Such is the cafe with this country. 



* Belides, the farms are by far too fmall, m?,ny of them, with- 



* in thefe forty years being fplit into triple the number. This has 



* proceeded from the impolitic rage for profecuting the fiQiing ; 



* but it is accompanied with hurtful confequences to the tenants, 



* as the fmallnefs of their farms keeps them in indigence. It 



* tends onlv to enrich the landmafter for the prefent, as he takes 



* the producfs at a much lower price than would be given by a 

 *■ neutral merchant ; he having the fame labour from one that has 

 'only a few merks of land, that he had from the tenant when 

 ' poiTeding, formerly, a much greater quantity. Having little 



* land, the tenant can rear few cattle to bring him cafh to pay his 

 ' rent, and procure fuch things as he may need : Whereas, in 

 *■ former times, by pofTefTing more, and being allowed to remain 



* thereon throughout the year, without bemg forced to filh for the 



< landlord, he was better able to pay his rem, and could live in a 

 « more comfortable and fubllantial manner. From the want of 

 <leafes, and the tenant's being frequently obliged to have recourfe 



< to his landmaller for fupplies in his exigencies, it renders him 

 « fervile and obfequious. That manly independent fpirlt, which 



< charafterizes a free-born Britain, and prevails among the pea- 

 *■ fantry in the fouth countries, is here loft. — As the tenant has 

 <■ only a verbal tack, he promifing to fiih for the landmafter, and 



< to give him all his products^ and to remain upon the land during 

 «ple.tfure, this proves a bar to all improvements, as he knows 



< not if lie will reap the benefit thereof longer than one year.' 



The confufion and Inaccuracy of the income or property a(5f, 

 is now fully exemplified by the difficulties attendant upon its 

 execution. In fu<5l, notwithftanding the feveral expofitions 



whicU 



