I04 Agricultural Intelligence — Scotland. Feb/ 



tenant's duty. It is done with the view of equalizing to the tax, thofe 

 who are tithe-free, and thofe who are hable to that burden. It will fo 

 far have this effeft, where the titlie is not equal to one eighth of the 

 annual value of the poffeflion, as may be generally the cafe with us in 

 Scotland ; but it is for our fouthern neighbours, who pay tithe in kind, 

 to point out how nearly an eighth of the annual value of their poffeffions, 

 and the tithe in kind will generally approximate. ' 



Rofifhire S^iaricrly Report, 



For thcfe three months pad, we have had, upon the whole, very favoi^r- 

 able weather for canying on the agricultural concerns of this dillrift. 

 The crops were all fecured in good order ; but, owing to the drought 

 of fummer, bulked very poorly in the ftack yards. The wheat fet^d was 

 iinifhed in fine condition, and a greater breadtli than ufual got fpwn. 

 Wheat was our only average crop, being tolerably bulky and .of fine 

 quahty. Barley is defeftive in bulk and quantity, but -jnelds more tlmn 

 a common proportion of fpirits. Oats, our principal dependence, were 

 of very little bulk, and poor in quality. Tuniips, even where a braird 

 was procured at the proper feafon, are but a middling crop ; but in 

 many places they entirely failed. Potatoes can hardly be itated as up 

 to an average, and the quality ii? generally ver\' indifferent. 



Our markets are dull, though nominally high. BaHey, from 22s. to 

 30s. per boll; oatm.eal, from 24s. to 26s. per nine fiones; oats, with flniw, 

 have been fold at 30s. per boll of five firlots, which would not produce 

 above {'i-vtw Hones of meal. This m.ay (liovv tlie value of fodder with ijs 

 this f-afon. Indeed, three times the ufual price has been given for winter- 

 ing cattle on ftraw. Hay was a hght crop ; but a confiderable quantity 

 of old ftock being on hand, it has not fetched above is. 6d. per Hone. 

 Our cattle markets have declined ever firxe the month of Auguft ; and, 

 by Martinmas, a lean beail could not be fold upon any terms. The 

 prices in the fouth, from what we could learn, did not warrant fuch a 

 depreffion as took place here ; but various circumftances coucurred to 

 produce a ftagnation ; one of which, and not the leaft, was the want of 

 credit at the Banks, x From fome caufe, belt known to the Bjiik 

 directors, they had ordered their agents in thie- quarter to narrov/ the 

 difcounts ; fo that money could not be raifed, in the ufual way, for 

 puvchafing the cattle ; and thefe orders v.-ere fo fudden, that the drovers 

 had not time to be othcrwife prepared. When the com.mcrce of a 

 country depends almoil entirely upon paper as a circulating medium, 

 great caution is neceflary in thofe who have the management of that 

 curreiicy. In banking, as in other trading concerns, the direttors have 

 no doubt a right to make the mod of the capital entruftcd to them ; 

 but they ought alfo to have fome regard for the country at large with 

 whom they deal. It is well known, that when the 3 per cent, confols 

 are at 60 or upwards, the Scotiih Banks are moft anxious in prcfling 

 their pnpcr into circulation, by freely difcounting bills and granting 

 rHflj-3<:<;ounts; thus railing and cncouragit>g a fpirit of fpcculation in 



commerce, 



