jg6 View of the Situation of Fanners y ^c, NoVo 



him ; and the mv)on lias not thrice filled her horn» fince I ob- 

 ferved the poor fellow fnivelling through Haddington market, 

 and pafTing, unknov/ing and unknown, thofe very men, with 

 ^vhom, in the days of former years, he had fpent the merry 

 midnight hours. 



The cultivation of turnips upon a great fcale, has added much 

 to the value of foils fuiteu to that crop ; and, together with ar- 

 tificial graiTes, and early oats, has brought our lands at the foot 

 of the mountains, and thofe lying upon the fea-fliore, nearer to 

 an equality in point of value. In Scotland, turnips are always 

 fown in drills, which admit of being horfe-hoed. They are as 

 generally fown broad-c.dt in the Southern counties of England. 

 Hand-hoeing is an expenfive operation, however expert the work- 

 people are at it. I have feen the turnips in almoll every county 

 in England, where they are cultivated as a crop ; and have no 

 hefitation in faying, that, in general, they are far inferior to thofe 

 raifed in Scotland ; and whether I conlider the weight of the 

 crop, and the expence attending it, or the condition of the foil 

 for bearing grain ; I mull prefer fowing them in drills, and fo 

 decidedly, that I am furprifed it is not long ere now become 

 univerfai. However, this is but one of many inftances, where, 

 with their eyes wide open, mankind have itopt fhort upon the 

 very thrcllioid of perfedion. The Romans invented the faddle, 

 but never difcovered the llirrup. 



Mr F*****, at Park farm in Kent, was, within thefe feven 

 years, the firft who cultivated turnips in drills in that county. 

 He fows thern earlier too than his neighbours, and his crops are 

 rather better than theirs ; but the foil and climate of Kent are 

 ill fuited to the growth of this root, fo that it is rare to fee what 

 with you would be efteemed even a middling crop. G***** 

 R***** would plough up the half of them. Pray what became 

 of the adion againft the gardener at W*******, for felling kail 

 feed inftead oi turnip ? 



Where, pray, did Mr D***** live ? Were his beautiful tur- 

 nips raifed in the broad-caft way ? I remember him mention- 

 ing a vifit he was honoured with by one of you Eaft-Lothian 

 farmers. 



No more is the culture of grain crops in drills a new difco- 

 very, as the admirers and followers of Tull and Du Hamel have 

 long efteemed it. It is common in Arabia Felix; and, as in 

 thofe eaftern countries, they never adopt any new modes, ic 

 muft have been fo for many generations. 



I am much pleafed to hear that my friend P**** g***** jg 

 foUedting materials for the Hifiory and Praclice cf Stall Feeding. 



Hift^ 



