238 Agriciiliural LiLcUigence — Scotland. ^lay 



be attrlbated fo much to the farmers, as to a prevaih'ng pra<f\ice, for 

 time imm.emorial, of letting detachtd pieces of land to people on account 

 of getting their harveft work. In fome cafes, no work is performed, 

 but rent paid In lieu of it. The lower orders iiavc hitherto lived very 

 comfortably in that way ; and they are {o fenfi!)le of it, that, after a 

 man gets a wife, he confiders it as bondage and flavery to be a hired 

 fervant. He is a bird of parfage, that will continue no longer than 

 he can find another opening ; and his fcrvice, in the mean lime, is far 

 from being pleafant to thofe who employ him. — .^pr'il 16. 



DumfriesJJj'ire ^mrierly Report. 



There has fcldom been a better fpring-feed feafon than that which 

 is now about being clofed. The moderate but frequent froils in Fe- 

 bruary, put the land in the mod kindly (late. About the beginning of 

 old iVlarch, the dry grounds were in good order ; and in ten days there- 

 after, the wet foils were in a fuitable condition to receive the feed. The 

 oats are now nlmoft all above ground, and appear ftrong and clofe. The 

 quantity fown fcems not quite fo much as in the lalt or former year. 

 Barley feed is now begun ; and the ground is In excellent order for re- 

 ceiving it. Tlie early fown v* heat appears liealthy and forward; but 

 that fown after Martinmas feems feeble and backward. 



The general meeting of the landholders of this county was unanimous- 

 in an application to Parliament for moderating the malt tax. No mat- 

 ter that has been under their confideration for many years, is thought 

 to l3e of more interefting confequence. Our barley never can compete, 

 in our own country, with that from the fouth, if fubjed to the fame 

 duties. The fair equalized duties hitlierto paid for malting barley, 

 have been the caufe of the culture of that graiu being increafed, and in 

 a great degree exrended our turnip hufbandry. In fhort, good cultiva- 

 tion in this county appears to depend upon barley ; and fuch a check 

 as the immoderate duty impofed lall Scffion, fo unproportioned to the 

 grain of Scotland, may prove hurtful, in an extreme degree, to both 

 landlord and farmer. 



The cattle markets are longer of beginning than was cxptdted. The 

 demand from tl:e fouth has yet been little ; but if there be no extraor- 

 dinary check to vegetation, it is fuppoftd there will foon be many 

 buyers. The demand for young flieep has not either been equal to ex- 

 peftation. A further advance in the })ricc of (lock of any kind feems 

 not to be wiHied for by any reafonable perfon : but, from the failure of 

 fheep in Yorkftrire, and other parts in the north of England, and from 

 the number of cattle that Hill come to the fliambles before they are at 

 maturity, there is reafon to think that prices muft keep up, at leaft 

 while the increafed number of purcliafers of meat arc enabled, by high 

 wages, to pay for it. j^pril 18. 



Lelttr from a Fafvier in the Upper IVard of Lanarhy April 18. 



* In this high diflrift, we have had a «nofl favourable feed-time ; and 

 the fowiog of oata became general about the 20th of March. Sced- 



work 



