^So j^gy'icultural Littliigente—Scotlutut. Nov% 



very good crop indeed ; giving both abundance of draw, and grain of 

 excellei-'t quality. It is genncraily allowed to be our bell crop, and 

 confiderably to exceed an average. Very little fniut has been obfo-ved ; 

 this however took place, to a very dellrnftive de;:-ree, in the fields of 

 one perfon, who had not pickled his feed, probably undervaluing this 

 eflential precaution. Beans are alfo eo^ual to, or probably above, an a- 

 verage, and very good in quality. Barley is a very abundant crop, and 

 in quality far fuperior to that of lalt year, and indeed fully equal to 

 the moll fortunate feafon of our vanable climate. If the Legiflature, 

 in its wifdom, do not adopt fome effectual meafure, founded on an un- 

 equivocal and broad bafis, to enable our Scots barley to maintain, ac-? 

 cording to its real value, a fair and equal competition, at leail in our 

 own inarket, with that of our foiithcm neigiibou.ra, reared under a 

 kindlier chmate, the Scotifli farmer will be driven, however rejudantly, 

 to blot out altogether from his rotation this valuai>ie crop. Some farnii- 

 crs have already fubilituted the potato oats in its place, and perhaps this 

 year withgut much lofs. Where the land gets the fame work as for 

 barley, the young graiTes y/ill be found to thrive equally well ; and a 

 heavy crop of thefe oats is not fo liable to lodge, and to deiflroy them, 

 as a heavy crop of barley under the fame circnmftances, gnd they may 

 be lown as late in the feafon. I adopted this plan myfelf this year. 

 My oats were fown the 20th of April, after three ploughings, and 

 reaped the 20th of Auguft ; the grafs moil excellent incjeed. The 

 late malt-tax is really a matter of the mofl ferious confideration to thq 

 b.nded intercil of Scotland, and even mod fo to thofe v/ho pofTefs line 

 rich turnip foil, wliere barley follows with fo much advantage. 



* I cannot here help remarlLing, I had almoil laid regretting, that the; 

 very fuperior quality of our barley this year, ma^"" ultimately turn to 

 Gur difadvantage ; becaufe, if an inquiy into the comparative value of 

 the barleys of England and Scotland, as fuggefled in the Ploufe of 

 Commons, (hould be inllituted, I am convinced that we will coiue much 

 uearer to tliem, than we would do on an average of f.'afons ; and there- 

 fore, though an apparently fair and impartial decifion may be given, it 

 will be really erroneous, i.iafmuch as a different refult w.oqld be the co:ife- 

 quence of fuch a comparative trial in ordinary feafor.s. In our noither.i 

 diviiion of the iHand, we may not again have fo much fun in one feafon 

 for the next half ccntur}\ Oats are by far o\w worit crop, and, unlike 

 the rell, are generally deficient, and, as far as I have learnt^ infcj ior in 

 quality to thofe of lall year. This is the more to be regretted, fo far 

 as refpefts the conifort of the labouring part of the community, as an- 

 other article on which they depend much, is alfo very defe6live ; I meun 

 potatoes. They do not exceed half a crop ; tliey were ftunted, in the 



'firll inflance, by the drought, and their growth checked by froil:; ; but; 

 being taken up under the moll fortunate circumdances, they arc of goo(^ 

 quality, and will prove very nutritious. 



* The young graffes do not in general wear a promifmg appearance, 

 although particular helds are very luxuriant. Hay was a very delicient 

 Cjtop. The price has, however, ^^ecn lew with us, as the Carroji "Com- 



