41 6 On the Culture of Potatoes in the Highlands, Nov. 



Ifles, their exillin^ ftate, and natural refources, been laid be- 

 fore th<* public, it would have bc-en eafy to fugtjeft: improve- 

 ments that were nor oniv expedient but ^rradlicahle. 



I (hall only adduce the premiums ilTucd for riiiPin^ potatoes, 

 in the Lrzy-bed way, on moor or moiV, n<; an inltance how far 

 the exertions of the Society hive heen mifipplied. 



The Society, having laid down no rules, or plan, by which 

 the work (hould be conduf^ed, each perfon contending for their 

 premiums, proceeded, as whim or conveniency prompted him, 

 to mangle and abufe ; and th 'v have aiflually rendered unfit fjr 

 fubfequent cultivation, confr.lerable tra6fs both of mofs and 

 moor, on the mainiantl and ifl.mds. Inftead of mining ditches, 

 to take off the water, they piled up their 1 zy beds, fo as to 

 raife them above the water ; and formed them in fuch crofs and 

 U'himfical dirf6lions, thai the land cannot now be cultivated, 

 without undoing all they have done, and expending much more 

 than it is worth. It was in vain that \ remonftrated with many 

 of them \ pointed out the lin? s in which they ought to have run 

 drains, before they broke the f )il \ and fhowed how they ought 

 to have formed their beds in ftraight parallel lines, fo as to ren- 

 der the land capabl- ot future aration. I alfo tried to convince 

 them of the abfurdity of piling up fuch high mounds of earth, 

 where they had only a few miferable tufts of potatoes on the 

 top of the mound, while the intermediate fpaces were filled 

 with water, like canals. It was in vai.i, too, I reprefented the 

 benefit that would refult from laying flieil-faml upon their lazy- 

 beds, which was often contiguous to them, and equal, in the 

 proportion of its calcareous matter, to the beft lime. * The So- 

 ciety had faid nothing about thefe matters, * was a tickler^ a 

 knock- em- down f which rendered all my ar^iuments ineffectual. 

 This fhews, that when people are in the humour of travelling 

 with a bandage about their eyes, they may happen to do harm, 

 even with the beft intentions. 



The potato delights in a loofe, friable, though dry foil, and 

 in a moift climate. From the ifland of Arran to the Orkneys, 

 including the Hebrides, this root, with a few exceptions where 

 the foil is unfavourable, attains a degree of prrtedlion feldom 

 equalled in other places. In this extenfive trad, the modes o£ 

 culture are very various ; and the beft may eafilv admit of ini- 

 provement. But here potatoes are feldom an exchanneabie com- 

 modity, becaufe they are not within the reach of markets. E- 

 very family endeavours to raife as many as will fupply its own 

 confumption, and no more. But were the practice of drying 

 them on fteam-kilns, in the way I have defcribed, introduced; 

 i*8 the quantity that may be raifed in thefa region* is i,iniimited, 



fo 



