2803. OntheEnhrgemento/Farms, 289 



objc(5lion, in fo far as regards yourfelf, is the huge expencc of 

 the undertaking, to which the Fortune of a Duke r.f Bedford 

 would hardlj faflice : and in {o far as regards your tenants, the 

 total change you purpofe making of the.!-, by converting the 

 little farms tlicy are able to cultivate into large ones, too big by- 

 far for their ikill or capital. Here I pauCc to tell you another 

 ftory. My friend and neighbour, the late Hary Smith of Sir uh- 

 field, owned a coiifidcrable traft of ground, fituated in one of the 

 higheft and bleakefl regions in this country. The "contagion of 

 improving this eitate feized him. But before undertaki' g fo ar- 

 duous a tafk, it was his good fortune to confult his friend, John 

 Rutherford o^ Kinghorn, one of the moft fagacious men of his 

 time. Mr Rutherford paid a vifit to the eftate. He found it 

 divided into very fmall farms, and occupied by a vafi number of 

 poor little people. He found feveral of them were v.^eavers and 

 tradefmen, who contrived to maintain themfelves, their wives, 

 and fvvarms of children ; and what he admired the mo(t, he found 

 them not only infenfible to the bleaknefs of the climate, and the 

 wetnefs of the foil, but fondly attached to this moll undefirable 

 fpot. He wrote to his friend, Mr Smith, in thefe emphatic 

 words. " I have (qqu. vonr eftate. It is a ftiocking one. Drop 

 ** all 3'our new-fangled projects of improving it. Thank God, it 

 ** is inhabited by tenants blind to its faults. Preferve them like 

 '* the apple of your eye. They are ineftimably valuable. At- 

 '* tach them ftill more to yon and your eftate. Give them leafes 

 " for their lives. Exempt them from all perfonal fervices. Lend 

 " them money at intereft to repair their houfcs, and to purchaie 

 '* manures. Every one of them will exert themfelves to improve 

 " their little fpots. When any of them die, their lots will be 

 " eagerly fought after by their children or neighbours. This is 

 " your moment, and not before, to look for a certain increafe of 

 " rent. Till then, have patience." This advice was given up- 

 wards of 40 years ago. Mr Smith, who then refided i.i London, 

 embraced and followed it implicitly. The eftate was then fcrimply 

 3000 merks Scots a-year, or L. 160 Sterling. It is now in the 

 pofleflion of his nephew, and pa/s him, I am told, and believe it, 

 at leaft L. 500 Sterling ; and all his little people on it are happy 

 and floiiriftiing. 



^ De te Fahula Narratiir, 



In addition to the above, were you to Inftltute a farming-dub 

 at Thurfo, prefide there yourfelf; defcant on Swedilb turnip, 

 fown grafs, potatoes, flax, and rotation hufbandry ; furnifti a few 

 feeds ; vifit the tenants' improvements ; diftribute a few hono- 

 rary premiums among the lads and laftes ; introduce into Thurfo, 

 and Its neighbourhood, any coarfe kind of manufacture ; Ofna- 

 burghs, sacking, fail-cloth, cotton, fuch as ruftic hands would 



VOL. IV. NO. XIV. U work 



