Rctrofpccih'e 'Vie-iv of Jgr'iculturc — Tweedale. 157 



tht!r parts had been cut down and carried eft*. But with tliis little 

 disadvantage, the counties of Ayr, Vvigton, Kircudbright and Dum- 

 fries, it IS believed, have more abundant crops, and of better quality, 

 at least, of Oats, than most otlier parts of Britain, this season, c^n 

 lioast of j and the hihabitants have much reason ' to praise the Loid 

 for his goodness' to them in this respect, uhich ^vill lielp to com- 

 pensate for a sore evil with which they have been visited. 



A considerable part of the siiire of Ayr, particularly Carrick, and 

 a great proportion of the tln-ee counties laft mentioned, being breed- 

 ing nnd gr.ifiiig diftricts, their fucccfs and general prolpcrity de- 

 pend upon the value and ready fale of their cattle and fliecp, wliich, 

 for the inoft part, are driven to the Englilh markets. The fanners 

 ilock was bought in at the end of the laft feafon, and beginning of 

 this, at extravagant high prices, and the keep in England having fail- 

 ed, manufaClurcs being in a great meafure at a ftand, and the bankers 

 finding it neceffary to contrail their credit, the value of live fiock has 

 greatly diminiflied. Sales are at a ftand ; numerous bankruptcies a- 

 mong the chief cattle dealers have enfued, and fpread diftrefs and de- 

 folation among many worthy and refpedlablc families. 



Experience ought to teach wildom : arid it is to be hoped, that this 

 calamity will fliew the folly of too much jpeculqtion in an article 

 which depends upon the feafons, which no human fagacity can calcu- 

 late ; and upon trade and manufadures, which a breath of wind can 

 overfct. 



Tioeedale, 



Through the greater part of this county, the fummcr drought was 

 felt feverely, and the paiturcs were thereby much curtailed. About 

 the latter end of July, and firft cf Auguft, milch cows were fo ftinted 

 in their pafture, that through the night, and at mid day, they ate laft 

 years ftraw in the houfe as frankly as they would have done at Chrift- 

 mas, with a ftorm of faow upon the ground. The \mcommon hail 

 ftiovvers, which fell on the 20th of July, did much damage, by break- 

 ing Iky-lights, perforating the leaves of turnips, and tcariiig the leaves 

 from, or cutting clear over the ftems of the potatoes ; fortunately iu 

 the cultivated part of the county, its tract was confined to a narrow 

 range of about one mile in length, and four in breadth, acrofsthc wa- 

 Iqr heads of Linton and Newlandparifties. 



The effect of the cold spring weather, \vas more dis;ccrnable upon 

 Potatoes than upon any other crop j and in the low ground this ef- 

 culent was materially damaged by the early autumn frost. In the 

 night betwixt the 20th and 21st of August, though the frost was not 

 so severe as to tau?e perceptible hurt to the corn crops, yet the Po 

 tatoes suff'cred considerably. They are not thoroughly ripened this 

 season, and probably may be rated at one third below an average 

 crop. The Tvveedale species, (as they arc called here) which is a 

 large round potatoe, with the eyes deeply indented, are by far the 

 ixst crop ; extending in some cases bv computation ot cart loads, to 



Vol. IV. Zzz ' £fty 



