%t6/\. Agrtculttirnl Inielligence — Scotland. 1&% 



given for laud. Mod of our Icafes bind the tenant to pra6life rotation 

 liiifbandry ; but if an alteration does not foon take place in tlie Excife 

 laws, our prefent fyftem will be knocked in the head ; for few people 

 will cultivate an article they cannot fell. Upon fuch diilridt^ as Tweed- 

 dale, the increafed malt-tax operates with much more fe verity than upon 

 .thofe fituated in a more favourable climate. Here y)arley is the flaple 

 grain commodity, confequently any ob(lru<9:ion to the fale thereof muft 

 l)e attended with fatal coiifequencea. ' In other diilrifts, where wheat 

 forms the principal crop, the tax can only expofe cultivators to a par- 

 tial evil, as they have it in their power to renounce the culture of a 

 grain which, at prefent, makes a worfe return than any variety of the 

 culmiferous tribe cultivated in Great Bntain, -J7^«» 1 1* 



Letter from a Farmer in Dumhartonjh'ire^ 'January 13, 



* "We had fom.e warm weather throu^jh the fummer months, which, 

 caufed our corn crops to turn out well. Several fields, originally in- 

 jured by the grub-worm, revived much afterwards ; and the whole of 

 our grain being completely ripened, aad fafely harvefted, renders the 

 quality fuperior to that of our average produce. 



* Markets, at the prefent time, feera rather overftocked, and prices 

 are lower than was generally evpected. Perhaps thefe things may be 

 occafioned by the deficiency of llraw, as a greater quantity of grain 

 muft be thra(hed than ufual before the neceffaiy fupply of provender 

 can be procured to the beftial j but this fuperabundance cannot lafl; 

 long, for feveral ftack-yards are already more than half emptied. A 

 iarge proportion of the land with us is prepared for the feed, tiie good- 

 nefs of the weather having permitted ploughing to go bridily forward. 

 Hay, which in Auguft was 5d. per ftone, now fells at pd. * 



B-uiffihite ^iarterly Report. 



From the date of laft report, till about the end of November, we 

 were favoured with weather in every refpeft propitious to the opera- 

 tions of the farmer. The pafture fields, continuing in a ftate of ver- 

 dure, admitted the cattle to be kept out at leafi a month beyond the 

 ordinary tiiioie of houling — ^a circumllance highly advantageous in this 

 fcarce year of provender. But, notwithilanding of all this f^ving be- 

 ing made, Itraw is llill like to be in great requefc, Oats and fodder 

 have been fold as high as 35 s. and 40s. per boll i this, when thrafied, 

 perhaps would bring no more than i (^sj j and if made into meal, little 

 or nothing more. Hay, hovvever, has" not rifen much, and can be 

 got at 1 s. per ftone : this difproporcion very often happens in times of 

 fcarcity ; but, it is evident, muft be a gre?.t erro/. The young grafles 

 that remained in a dormant ftate during the fummer months have come 

 forv/ard fuuiciently to endure the winter frofts. A greater extent 

 of wheat was foivn t^ian ordinaiy, on account of turnip fail ire, and 

 makes a very good appearance. Altliough our grain markers hjve fuf- 

 |:iined gr^at deprefiio;i, t})C price of labour is rather on the rife : our fer, 



G 3 vants 



