l8o3' Agricultural Intelligence, 11^ 



and confequenccs. In faft, the mcafure has been difctifrcd as a 

 revenue qucition, though not opposed by a fingle perfon on tliat 

 ground ; and the probable, we might have laid the certain cf- 

 fe£^s of the adV, have been citlier blinked or mifunderllood. 



To us, who are little interelted in the iflue, but who enjoy 

 many opportunities of afcertaining the confcquences, it appears, 

 that an equal duty in both countries upon any article whatever, 

 mud ncceilarily give a decided preference to the one which pro- 

 duces the article in the greateil perfection. Abll:ra6tedly confi- 

 dered, this pofition will be received as an axiom by the greateil 

 driveller in political ceconomy, though recent circumflances prove 

 that an equal malt duty is not by many people confidered in that 

 ]ight. This leads us to inveftigate the bufmefs at greater lengtli 

 than cuflomary, when any public meafure connefted with agri- 

 culture is noticed •, and we are influenced to do fo, by a firm 

 convi61:ion that the tax, if perfilted in, will prove eminently inju- 

 rious to Scotilh agriculture. The tenantry muft fuffer in the liril 

 inftance, but the proprietors will not afterwards efcape. 



In entering- upon this inveftigation, two points occur to our 

 view, which merit feparate difcuffion. i. The natural difference 

 in value betwixt the barleys of England and Scotland. 2. The 

 artificial dirrerence created by the immenfe duties levied on the 

 article, from the time it is malted to the period when it is manu- 

 fa6lured into ale or fpirits. We apprehend, that the majority of 

 the landed intereft are not fufficicntly acquainted with the extent 

 of the natural difference *, and as for the artificial difference, it 

 does not appear that the matter has occupied their thoughts. 



That Englifli barley is much fuperior to the produce of Scot- 

 land, we believe will not be difputed. Every perfon who re- 

 flects upon the market value of grain, ripened and harvefled 

 in the early part of autumn, under the influence of a hot fun, 

 will readily acknowledge the inferiority of fuch as may hap- 

 pen to have been harvefled, even upon the fame farm, three 

 or four weeks later, when the air was damp, the rays of the .^ 

 fun lefs intenfe, and adverfe weather had occurred. If tlxis- ff*' 

 inferiority prevails in grain raifed on the fame farm (and from ' ' 

 experience we know it does), the like difference mull aflured- 

 iy follow, in a comparative view of Scotilh and Englifh bar- 

 leys, taking the produce of both countries upon a fair aver- 

 age. In England, where the climate is confiderably earlier, the 

 greatefl part of barley feed is made in February and March •, and 

 in all the exporting counties, the young plants fairly cover the 

 ground before m^uch Scotifh barley is fown. This gives a ifart at 

 the outfet, which is afterwards increafed in every Itage, and ad- 

 vances the value of the crop fomething in the way that a fum of 



monev 



