j^l Letters from a Scots Farmer^ April 



and holding them in feveralty. Such fields are therefore 

 kept under a perpetual round of crops, except that broad 

 clover may, for a fingle feafon, be partially admitted. 

 You may therefore judge what kind of crops are ufually 

 produced under fuch management. 



Many Scotsmen are ignorant what a common-field is. 

 When you mention fuch a fubjecl, they imagine it is a 

 piece of barren, whinny land, depaftured with the cows 

 of the neighbourhood, without refletliing that the term 

 applies to the beft lands in England. This tenure bears 

 fome affinity to our old run-rig fafhion in Scotland ; on- 

 ly that, fince 1695, it was in the power of any fingle 

 proprietor, to force a divifion of the premifes, by ap- 

 plying to the Sheriff of the county, upon whom the ex- 

 ecution of the law for dividing commonties, was devolv- 

 ed. It is owing to the want of a fimilar law in England, 

 that fuch grievances exifl; for it is evident, that the 

 prefent mode of divifion is fo vexatious and expenfive, 

 that one half of the commons will continue in their pre- 

 fent ftate for ever, unlefs fuch a meafure as I am re- 

 commending, is palled into a law. Indeed, there are 

 much ftronger reafons for a general bill, than exifted in 

 Scotland ; for, in that country, the lords of the manor 

 never pofTefTed any thing like the extent of rights that 

 are held by their brethren in England ; and the burden 

 of tithes, which in the former country was previoufly 

 done away, abfolutely debars every Rep to procure a 

 divifion in the other, unlefs a previous bargain is made 

 •with the owners. 



The very cuftoms of the different townfliips, and the 

 obftinacy and prejudice of the pofleffors, effedually pre- 

 vent any material improvement being made, except with 

 the unanimous approbation of every tenant of the town- 

 Ihip ; and when we reflet upon the general perverfe- 

 nefs of human nature, it may eafily be fuppofed, that 

 fuch a confent is very rarely gained. Jnltances are 

 known, where turnips have been fown upon the break 

 cuftomarily kept under naked fallow, and that the neigh- 

 bours have turned in their beads upon them, without 

 being liable to damages ; as alfo, where clover has been 

 fown, infi:ead of a corn crop, the flock of the townfhip 

 has defl:royed it during the Winter months, without le- 

 gal redrefs being procured. Experience fo fully proves 

 the impolicv of keeping land in a ftate of commonage, 



:Ua«t 



