•ao-J . thoughts en Tla^i ttujianclrf, NoV. 



fiftence, fuppofing it to be moderate, ever engr.pjed both farmers 

 and mar.u^acturers to become induftrious. As long as mer- 

 chants have profits on the fa!e of manufacflures, the manuradurer 

 vill fliare their profits with them, were they to hue upon the 

 air ; and it is in proportion to the high or low profits of the 

 merchants, and not in proportion to the high or low price of 

 the manufa6lurer's iubfillence, that the wages of induP.rious la- 

 bour rife, or fall. 



Thefe have long been, and dill are, my notions upon this fub- 

 jedl. But I am fick of repeating them ; I am old and ina6Vive ; 

 I have had convcrfdtions with the Glafgow theorifts ; 1 have 

 even written to them on this fame fubjecfl, to no purpofe. They 

 Jiate the lairds of Clydefdalc, and do all they can to difcourage 

 the fupply which their lands fend them. There is no example 

 of a Glafgow merchant ever purchafing one boll of meal in any 

 market of the coinny. The reafon is plain, they can make no 

 monopoly of it, becaufe every farmer fupplies the market in 

 competition with them. They prefer to fee their markets fup- 

 plied from Ireland, or from diftant countries, in the way of trade, 

 to the other fupply, from which they (the merchants) draw little 

 profit. It is a certain faft, that the greateil quantities of Irilh 

 meal, lately imported, has been confumed by our tenants, who 

 carry down their good meal for the confumption of the manu- 

 facturers, who will eat nothing elfe, and bring back the bad 

 Irifh meal, for their own ufe. My afiiftance at the committee, 

 ^vill be of little ufe, as I know my opinions will have little 

 weight ; they have long been printed, little read, and lefs con- 

 fidered. We have a committee as you have, of which I am one. 

 I hear you have written upon the fubje6l ; fo Mr Lockhart, 

 Cambufnethan, told me ; but Smith has printed in favour of 

 free importation. Let the merchants adopt his ideas, as you 

 obferve, and the landed intereO may follow: but 1 think, if fuch 

 a fcheme would ruin the manufa(f\urer, it mufl exjually ruin 

 agriculture. 



TO THE CONDUCTOR OT THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



Thoughts on Flax Hujhandry. 



Sir, 



Having been a conftant reader of your Publication, from it» 

 commencement, and highly gratified v ith i^'.- extenfive flock of 

 fterling irifcrmation therein contained, permit me to oiFer a hint, 



fuch 



