41 3 Remarh on the Review of the Feehles Survey. Nov.' 



round them, fee the thicknefs nearly doubled, by the barley being 

 now {hot alfo. This is the cafe in a diflric^ generally held to be 

 one of the moft fertile in Scotland after Eafl-Lothian and the 

 Carfes, lying between the fea and the fpot where, I believe, your 

 Publifher firll faw the light. Many of the beft farmers fpeak of 

 returning to the old bear alone. 



I have not time at prefent to fay more, but may perhaps, when 

 at leifure, give you fome {lri(£l:ures on the friendly difpute between 

 8ir John Sinclair and Mr. Dempfter. Meantime, I am 



Your very humble fervant, 



July 12, Y. X. 



NOTE BY THE CONDUCTOR. 



The fcheme for afcertaining the relative qualities of Scotlfli 

 barley with thofe of England, pointed out by our Correfpondent, 

 feems to be a fair and decifive one ; though we apprehend, from 

 the carlinefs of the harveil: this feafon, that the refult would not 

 procure the juftice for this country, which a general inveftigation, 

 in ordinary years, would enfure. If he will be fo good as fend 

 his addrefs to the Publiflier, a particular account of the trial made 

 in 1787 fhall be forwarded; we not being at liberty to mention, 

 in a public manner, the name of the gentleman who gave us the 

 communication, though perfectly fatisfied with its authenticity. N. 



TO THE CONDUCTOR OF THE FARMER S MAGAZINE. 



Remarks on the Revieiu of Peebles Survey. 

 Sir, 



I am, on the whole, well pleafed with the review of Peebles 

 lurvey ; but in one point I think the Reviewer is incorrecSt:. It 

 is where he animadverts on Mr Findlater's obfervation, that the 

 knowledge of the food of plants ought to be the foundation of 

 the whole pra6lice of ap;riculture. In this, I apprehend Mr Find- 

 later is right ; and the Reviewer perhaps wanders, when he fays, 

 that as we have not the command of fire, air, or water, little 

 benefit would be gained by that knowledge. 



Fire, air and water, are effential for fupporting the exiftence of 

 animals as well as vegetables ; but as each diflincl: tribe of animals 

 has a peculiar food, befides thofe neceffary for its fubfiltence, fo, it 

 i^ probable from analogy, that every diflindi fpecies of vegetables 

 has a proper food befides what is common to all. Earth and dung 

 are very vague words in the ears of the chemiH: ; as indefinite as 

 animal and vegetable food. A particular fort of food is neceffary 



fov 



