i c5 Agricultural LtteUiggficg. — Scotland* Fcb- 



from the depth of It, but from beings plated with ice. When the ftocks 

 were brought to the cxtiemitv o^ J{yu:g to the lower parts of the coun- 

 try, they were relieved by the loiithcrly bretze of one day. Varia- 

 ble weather, and frequent falls of rain, are confidered fully worfe 

 for fheep, m all fituations, than ordinary ilorm?, and more dangerous 

 for their conilituiio5»!», and have always bad cffccls if the fpring' ibould 

 happen to turn out fcvere. This, we fee from experience, is the cir- 

 cumfiance on which mod: depends the ftock or quantity of animai food 

 which can be brought to market ; and from this it arifes, tliat the 

 grcated improvement to be made in Britifh rg-ricuUurc and farming, 

 is the increafe of fpring food for fheep and cattle, not only for the pre- 

 fent fupply of markets, but for rendering ali ftocks more generally in- 

 dependent of the t'fiVds of bad fpring weather,, and fitting thcni for 

 getting more immeiliate advantage from the fumrner paftureo. Thij 

 is happily coniing to be now attended to by improving iarmers. But 

 rone, except thole who have liad fome experience, can have an idea of 

 the difference of the growth and feeding upon fuinmer partures, whe- 

 ther coarfe or fine, of either aged or young lh;^ep, or cattle fed even in 

 a fmall degree in the fpring with turnip, from thole which have been 

 kept upon fodder or winter paftures only. 



The crop of lad year turns out produdlvf, rather beyond ao aver* 

 3ge, as is generally the cafe after a dry and warm fumn:>er; and all 

 is of good quality. Wheat, from 60 to 63 lib. j barley, from 50 to 

 54 lib. ; and oats, Common and Frlefland kinds, from 38 to 40 lib. ; 

 potato onts, from 42 to 45 hb. the bufhcl. Prices — Wheat, from, 6s. 6d. 

 to 7s. 6d.; barley, from 2s. 8d. to 3s.; oats, from 2s. to 2s. 6d, j 

 potato oatf, 3s, the budiel. The fuptvior quality of the potato oats is 

 allowed by all ; but the greateil advantage is reaped by thofe who have 

 them on ftrong land ia good order. The profit to them, is at leatl 

 one half beyond that on common oats. The moll general fault in raif- 

 ing thefe oats, is allowing them to becomt; too ripe ; much of the grain 

 16 thereby loft, and the fodder deprived of fubftance. Every ear ought 

 to have fome of the lower pickles greeniQi when cut, and even thefc 

 will be good oats when thrafued. 



The fall in the price of cattle and fl-seep, fo general over the king- 

 dom, has affedled the dealers and farmtrs in this country in no inconli- 

 ^erable degree. The dealers had all fome lofs. Thofe who drove to 

 tiie far Jouih, as it is termed, had lofles to io great an exrent, as to 

 affcd the credit of fcveral of them, whereby the injury became very 

 generah The Icffes to the dealers in (heep have not been fo extenfive, 

 owing to their fales taking place more recently after their purchafe. 



This fall of prices feems to have been unavoidable. It proceeded from 

 the fame caufe with the fall of the price of corn ; — the good feaions, 

 the abundant growth which has increafed all kinds of Hock, and the 

 extraordinary crop of lambs for three fucctrffive years, Thefe were fo 

 far beyond the confumption, that the maikets and the country would 

 iii:vc been fooiicr ovcrilcgki.'d, had it not been for the very uncommon 



