:B04i jigrlcultural IiUcHi^cr.ce— Scotland. 377 



dcrtaking mufl: Iwive a CDtilulerable effcft In raifiog tlic value of labour 

 here. Cattle have a dull falc at prefent ; and as to (hcep, matters arc 

 ftill worfe, being at lealt feven or eight Ihlllings per licad lower than 

 lad year. We have had heavy rainft tor feveral days part, vliich has 

 retarded the harvelUtig of hay, the crop of which may \jt contidercd 

 as a good one. * 



Letter from FaJk'irk, "July 2^. 



* Almoft immediately after 1 laft wrote you, an nncomrnon change 

 took place in the weathtr, which for fome time belorc had been dry 

 and bitterly cold, but became mild and genial, with rcfft/Hing Ihowers. 

 Vegetation in confcquence advanced rajjidly, and has continued almofr 

 uninterrupted ever fincc. I'he weather, for fome time pail, has been ve- 

 ry warm and dry ; but during the \hi\ four or five days, we have had a 

 good deal of rain. Under fuch circum fiances, any opinion of the pro- 

 bable return of the pTefent crop would be lidle elfe than conjecture ; ff> 

 much muft depend on warm dry weather at this critical period of ther 

 feafon. Already many of the heavy crops are confiderably lodged* 

 Hay may be fafely pronounced the worll crop that has been in the dif- 

 tridt of the Carfe for fome years ; I underftand, however, it is better 

 on the dry-field foils. The fecond crop promifes to be luxurfant. Paf- 

 tures have been excellent through rhe whole fefTon, and, after fo much 

 rain of late, are likely to continue fo. The dilirefs often occurring from 

 overllocking can fcarcely have been felt at all this feafon, except under the 

 mod injudicious management, as the paftures have been capable of carry- 

 ing forward more than an ordinary tiock. Upon the whole, the crop at 

 prefent promifes well, ii more bulky than la(l year, particularly oats, 

 and harveft is likely to be early. j'he feafon, hov/^ver, has not been 

 favourable for working the fnmmer fallows ; they are confequently not 

 In fuch a high llate of cultivation ai could be wilhed for at this ad- 

 vanced period of tite year, in a clay diftridt, where fo much hereafter 

 depends on that procefs being effcdually accomplifhed ; and the fame 

 caufes that have produced a bulky crop of grain, have brought forward 

 aifo abundance of weeds, fo that the fields very generally look fouK 

 Our grain market has advanced a little during the lalt quarter. Wheat 

 fells at 30R., Barley 20s., Beans iSp,, Oats 20s. The price of hay- 

 is not yet fixed ; but, notwithilanding the bad crop of It in the Carfe, 

 it is not expected to exceed 'jd. a (tone. The extenlive cultivation of 

 fown graffcs has of late years increafed the quantity of that article be- 

 yond the demand. 



In my laft letter, when adverting to the importance of the tenure by 

 leafe to the general interelts of agriculture, 1 took oecafion to mentioir 

 fome circumltances refpefling the barony of Kinnicl in our neighbour- 

 hood, that appeared at the time to apply in illuftration of that opinion ; 

 and in warmly efpoufing the general caufe, was led to animadvert fomc- 

 what pointedly on that particular cafe. The fubilaiice of the para- 

 _graph alluded to I had from one of the tenants in common converlation. 

 It was at that time, indeed, the general topic of dilcourfe araongit them, 

 3s4| fr»m having talked the matter oUen over, tl.dr fc^rs (becaufe pcc- 



haps 



