^'24 Agricultural Intelligence. May 



even when fo clrcumftanced, may be profitably ufed both by 

 the diililler and brewer. Want of room, however, forces us 

 to abftain from ilfuitrating this matter. Indeed, experience may 

 warrant us to receive it as an axiom. 



Many people have taken up this bufinefs entirely as a quefiion 

 of revenue. In our opinion, the point of view, in which it 

 defervcs confideration, is the injury which will be fuflained by 

 the agriculture of Scotland ; and we would have rejoiced to have 

 ittn this ably dcmonilrated. It is clear that the growth of barley 

 under the hiflucnce of an equal tax, mull be neceffarily difcourag- 

 ed, in every Scotilh county, in dirett proportion to the latenefs or 

 humidity of its climate, becaufe the increafed duty will operate 

 preciicly as a bounty upon tlie importation of Englilh grain. Even 

 at the old rate of duties, this was partially felt ; but as the duties 

 are increafed, or the price of the perfe£l article is augmented, the 

 difference in value, betwixt the barleys of both countries, muft 

 likewife be more difcernible : hence, the inferior or fecond kinds 

 will either be altogether neglecSled, or fold upon terms that will 

 not defray the expcnce of cultivation. N. 



PART III, 



Agricultural Intelligence, 



We noticed, in our laft, that meetings of the landed intereft 

 had been held in feveral counties for confidering the act of laft 

 Seflion, impofing an additional duty on malt, wherein the prin- 

 ciple long eftabliflied, and till then uniformly adhered to, of 

 taxing barley malted in Scotbjid at one half of the Enghfli duty, 

 had been completely departed from. At that time, we flattered 

 ourfclves, that a meafure fo inimical to the agricultural profperity 

 of this country would be combated to the uttermoft, and that e- 

 very conflitutional ftep, fuch as petitioning Parliament and in- 

 flrucl:ing members, would be taken by the landed interclt, as 

 guardians of the public welfare. It is therefore with concern we 

 obfervc, that only a few counties (Aberdeen and Stirling particu- 

 larly) have beilirrcd themfelvcs on this occafion, and that, in ma- 

 ny others, the fubjecl has not been deemed worthy of the flighteft 

 notice. At fome meetings the queftion was difcufled in a mere 

 milk and water way ; and the arguments ufed in fupport of the 

 tax, fatisfy us that the authors were totally ignorant of its nature 



and 



