Igo Correfpondence hetween Sir jfohn Sinclair, Barf, Maj 



work at in the long dreary winter nights, and inovvy and rainy 

 days ; your ellates are improved ; vourielf and Lady Sinclair ado- 

 red ; and your fine progeny in proipe£l of a vaft income, acquired 

 with no capital but that of their parents and their own beneficence. 

 1 am. 



Sir John, 



Your moil obedient humble Servant, 



George Dempster, 



No. II. 

 LETTER FROM SIR JOHN SINCLAIR TO GEORGE DEMPSTER, ES(^ 

 MY DEAR SIR, 



It ahvays gives me much pleafure to hear from you, even 

 when we differ in fentiments ; for I am fure that any opinion 

 you give, comes with the bell intentions, and is entitled to great 

 refpe6l. But in regard to the particular fubje6l of your lall let- 

 ter, iiainely, converting f mall farms into large ones^ I am perfectly 

 fatisiied, from the very exteniive inquiries I have been under the 

 neceflity of making, that it is the bafis of all fubflantial improve- 

 ment, not only becaufe the land is rendered more productive, 

 but alfo becaufe hands are thereby furnilhed for day-labour, for 

 manufactures, and for commerce. Indeed, it is to the enlarge- 

 ment of farms, and the abundance of hands for labour refulting 

 therefrom, that I attribute the flourifhing Hate of England ; nor 

 will Scotland ever be able to reach that proportionate height of 

 profperity to which it is certainly well entitled, unlefs the fame 

 plan is purfued. This we have experienced in Caithnefs ; for if it 

 had not been for the enlargement of farms in Rofs-fliire and Inver- 

 nefs-fhire, we could not have carried on our improvements to any 

 extent; becaufe, in confequence of the fmallnefs of the farms in our 

 country, it was vcrydifHcult to get afufhcient number of farm-fer- 

 vants, and flJll more fo of day-labourers, though of thelatter defcrip- 

 tion we wanted no Icfs than 500 from other diflri6ls every year. 

 You may rely upon it, that converting the arable land into large 

 farms, and putting them into a proper flate of cultivation, is 

 not attended with the expence you imagine, and there is no rilk 

 of their lying ley ; for even in Caithnefs we are getting farmers 

 from tlie fouth of Scotland and the north of England to take 

 them. In regard to the ft nail farmers, the commons are appro- 

 priated for them, where they get land cheap, which they like 

 better than paying a high rent for good land ; or they go to the 

 towns and villages, where they foon live more comfortably than 

 ever. In proof of this, only read the flatiilical account of Green- 

 ock ; where you will fee how much the country was benefited 

 by the change of refidence of feveral inhabitants of Argyle-lhire, 



wh# 



