1 8 04' Agrictilturcil Intelligence — Scotland. "^2-9 



all of .whidi combined, rotted, in a great mcafure, the remainder of 

 the turnip crop. Seed-work has gone on very poorly. I began fowing 

 lall week, but have got nothing done to my mind. Tlie weather, 

 however, now getting dry, 1 hope to fiaii'h the work with foine degree 

 of pleafure. ' 



Letter from Fat'kirky April 14. 



* The circumflaiTces of the lafi quarter mnft have put both the re- 

 fignation and patience of the farmer to a very fevere trial indeed. — Re- 

 fignation, under a fUte of markets the moll difcouragmg, and alto- 

 gether unequal to the expence of bringing forward his produce, fo as 

 to enable him cheerfully to meet term-time -without the neceflrty of aid 

 from fome other fource, perhaps even driven to the ruinous expedient 

 of touching his capital ; — patience, under a vexatioufly variable and 

 inclement fiate of the weather, for carrying forward the operations of 

 feed-time, which has in confequence been thrown unconmionly late, 

 and which mult be confidered as at lealt an unfavourable ch-cumllance 

 to the enfuing crop- I, believe we are as fnr forward as in many other 

 places, where they have even a more kindly foil than our carfe to 

 manage in fuch a feafen. The very favourable weaflier in the early 

 part of winter had, however, greatly advanced the operations of the 

 lield ; and fome tine dr}' weather in I'ebruaiy allowed the beans to be 

 generally well got into the ground, and even, at that time, a few oats 

 uere fown ; but throiigli alnioil the v/hole of Marcli very little was done 

 to purj)ofe, from the conftant fucceflion of heavy rains and fevere froft. 

 Many fields of oats lay, for two or three weeks, in a very bad fitua- 

 tion, half-harrowed. For two weeks pafl, iiowcver, we have had fine 

 diy weather for field operations, though bitterly cold and ungenial ; 

 by which the oat feed has been finiflied in much better condition than 

 was expet^led. Wheat in many places has fuffered greatly ; and no- 

 where can it he faid to have a fine appearance. The young grnfTes, 

 not originally promiling, are ftill iu a worfe Hate, aiul probably too far 

 gone to recover fully, however favourable the weather may prove here- 

 after. As to the paflures, their appearance is truly miferable, and 

 fi-ave now nothing of the line verdure they Irad about the beginning 

 of the year. This total want of vegetation, at fuch an advanced pe- 

 riod of the feafon, luull really be a ferious bufineis to thofe who are 

 fhort of fodder, with a full flock of beilial on hand, the profpcCl of 

 relief from grafs being at prefent fo diilant. 



* Our market for gnin has been lleadily low during the lail quar*« 

 ter ; it is now rather looking up, but very little has lately been 

 prefented. A farther rife is exposed ; but this now ca'mot be of muck 

 benefit to the farmers, as the ftack-yards, except in the article of bar- 

 ley, are very thin. Wheat, about 27s. ; Barley, 17s.; fome (remark- 

 ably fine, weighing nearly twenty ilone), 2cs. ; Oats, 153. to i8s. ; 

 Beans, 17s. Our butcher market has kept uniformly high; the price 

 ^beef, ^ retail, is from 9d, to 9xd., aod mutton loJ. to lO^d./T/- lib. 



P 3 tronj 



