47<^ Agvicultu-rcil IntcUigchcc — ^coiland. Nov. 



ornamented with planting. The hedges are generally of hawthorn, fre- 

 quently mixed with privet; which, keeping its leaves long, is a great ad- 

 vantage. A plan of planting hedges in Ayriliire and in the parifh of 

 Mearns in Lajiavkftiire, is to put the thorns into the face of a ftone wall, to 

 grow through it from a bank on the other fide, which I coafider to be a 

 bad fcheme, as the (lones incumbent on the hc-dge muft check its growth 

 grcritly The lands in the neighbourhood of Irvine, are the fouleft 1 

 evtr faw any where. I obfervcd no fummer fallow in Ayrfhire, and 

 was informed that nine tcntfis of the leafes in that diilrii-^, prohibit the 

 tenants from having more than one third of their farms under tillage,. 

 iJorae of them are re.lritted to one fourth. ^ 



Leilcr frcni an c\fenfive Fitnncr in Duinfriesfj'n-e, Ocl: 8. 



* T\\t weather during Iiarvt ft whs remarkably good, and the crop, 

 With fome trifling exceptions, is now fafely fecured. We do not fow 

 much wheat in this quarter; but what we have is good, and fo is barley. 

 Oats are rather light, and not well filled ; but we had an abundant crop 

 of hay, which fells at gd. and lod. per ftone of 24 lib. The grain market 

 is dull. Wheat 6s. 6d. and 7s. Old oats 3s. -Of barley, little or none 

 js yet fold, our chief demand being from Liverpool and other places in 

 Lancafnire. 



* The fale of cattle in England is not fo btiiic as fome time ago, and 

 prices lower. At Broughhill fpir, cattle frefli in condition brouirht good 

 prices, but lean ones fold with difficulty. Sheep had a dull falc, and at 

 reduced prices ; and my opinion is, that a greater fall will ftill be felt, 

 owing to the immerfe numbers daily coining from the Highlands. I 

 was lately in Northumberland in fearch of breeding ewes, and purchafed 

 fome of the bed Leicefters at (>7^^. per head. This fort is infinitely 

 fuperior to what is called the Bamburghfliiie breed, and 1 ftrongly re- 

 commend them to every farmer who pofrefTes decent land. He fhonld 

 fludy, however, to feled^ the real kind, otherwife his profit will be ia- 

 ferior to thofe who are more fortunate or attentive. My wedder hogs, 

 this year, weighed from 20 to 26 lib. avoirdupois per quarter, and fold 

 at 54s. per head. 1 had my tups from Mr Culley, and now poffefs a 

 flock preferable to any in this county, ' 



Liver 71 efsjlnre ^larterly Report, 



The harveft around Invernefs was fmifhed feveral weeks ago, bul^ 

 fome fields are ftill ftanding out in the Highland diftric^s jf the coun- 

 ty. In point of produce, whether corn or ftraw is confidered, the crop 

 is much worfe than I remember to have feen, and may be eftimated as 

 fully one third below an average. What wheat we have is good in 

 quality. Barley much fuperior to laft year's growth ; but oats are veryin« 

 ferior. From the beginning of April to the 22d September, we had no 

 rain worth noticing ; of courfe the hay crop was very bad, nor is that of 

 turnip much better. P«natoes have of late grown rapidly, and promife 

 ftill to m;ike a tolerable return. 



Very 



