^6 Oo/t^r vat ions on/rojied Oats, \£c, Feb, 



that it is the conflant pra<^ice of fome farmers, in hillj countries^ 

 to plant their potatoes, and any delicate crop, on the greatell alti- 

 tude their fituation can afford. 



I am indeed no philofopher, and leave the inveftigation of the 

 caufe of fiich a phenomenon to thofe who are capable of it. But 

 it appears that the height to whicli the frolt extends on the fides 

 of the mountains is exadlly conformable to the elevation of the 

 hoar-froft, or rhind, which floats all round the bafis of the hills. 

 Tliis hoar-froft, however pernicious to vegetation, when feen from 

 a high hill-top in a September morning, affords a mofl enchanting 

 profpect. The efiulgent rajs of the fun, to which it very fooa 

 yields, makes this exhalation appear like a boundlefs ocean adorn- 

 ed with a rich and endlefs variety of green iilands, as it were, emer- 

 ging from the waters. Every vegetable, loaded with pearly drops, 

 joins in heightening the luftre of the fun-beams, and their own na- 

 tural verdure ; while the ice, diffolving on every tree and fhrub, 

 dijlils like the deiu on the tender grafs. If we add to this fcene 

 the melody of the groves, w'here the feathered fongflers warble 

 forth their unafFe6ted notes from every fpray, it will iinifh the 

 picture of a rural fcene, which cannot be exceeded. 



This kind of froft, which arifes from the lakes, marfbes, and 

 moiflure of the furface, feldom afcends to a great height ; and it 

 "would feem, that the later and more intenfe frofcs defcend from 

 the atmofphere, and are more fevere on the mountain-tops, where 

 their effects begin. I had fome accidental communications on this 

 fubjedt with a very active and intelligent farmer, on Galla-water, 

 who declares, that what I have above Itated is perfectly confiftent 

 •with his knowledge and pra6tice ; that he feldom can fave his po- 

 tatoes without the above-mentioned expedient; and that his oats, 

 in fuch a lituation, will in general be found fit for feed. No cir- 

 cumflance acts more forcibly againll the comfort of the poor 

 than that alarm which caufes a very general demand for feed-oats 

 upon the low-lands, and this fubje6t is therefore furely worthy the 

 attention of the hill-faimers. It is true, the oats they do not ufe 

 for feed muft come lo market in the form of meal, but they muft 

 be but a poor fubflitute for the fine ones they thus withdraw from 

 that market. 



It is certainly not the interefl: of a Lothian farmer to harp upon 

 thisjirinfr ; as every circumffance, which tends to create a demand 

 for feed-corn to the later counties, muft be direStly for his intereft* 

 But he has narro^v and felfifh view?, who is incapable of deploring 

 the fufferings of a whole community, or who can rejoice at the 

 preponderance of his own intereft, when thrown into the oppolite 

 feale ? 



The fecond obfervation I would make (and it is equally fup- 



ported 



