i6i Account of the IntrodiiElion of April 



Roman government ; yet this radical improvement was 

 neglected in Scotland, till the conclufion of the 17th, 

 or beginning of the 1 8th century. From the intimate 

 connexion which fubfiited betwixt the two nations after" 

 the accelhon of James VI., it excites furprifc, that this 

 and other improvements did not immediately crofs the 

 Tweed ', and that the different praftices of our enlight- 

 ened neighbours were not earlier imitated by the Scotiflr 

 agriculturifts. As we are, however, certain this was 

 not the cafe, we mufl fuppofe, that fome very cogent 

 reafons operated to prevent the introdudlion of Summer 

 fallov/, which was the only method then known for 

 cleaning the ground in an effc^lual manner. It is more 

 than probable, that the general dlvifion bill, pnfled by 

 the Scotifli Parliament i6(;i;, contributed to promote 

 this and many other improvements ; for, before the en- 

 aftinent of this falutary law, a confiderable part of our 

 beft. lands remained in run-ridge, or in a ftate fomething 

 fimilar to what is ftill cuftomary in many of the richelt 

 Englifh counties. As it is found imprafticable, under 

 common-field tenure, to introduce the turnip and grafs 

 hufbandry, without the fpecial confent of all the per^ 

 fons concerned, we are inclined to believe, that the fame 

 circumftance would operate in retarding the reformation 

 of the Scotifn cuftomary pratftices. If Summer fallow 

 had not been praftifed in England previous to the efta- 

 blifhment of common fields, it is certain, that the like 

 difficulties would have attended its pofterior introduc- 

 tion, as are at this day experienced in the other branches 

 of hufbandry above mentioned. 



Be thefe things as they may, it is undoubtedly true, 

 that Summer fallow was not praQifed in Scotland earlier 

 than the conclufion of the 17th century -, for, in a book 

 intituled, *' Hnjhandry Anatomized, " publiihed at Edin- 

 burgh in 1697, and fuppofcd to be the moft ancient 

 treatife upon rural oeconomy in Scotland, we find the fal- 

 lowing of land recommended in a manner, which fhows 

 that it was not then known in the country. The author 

 had ferved in Flanders during King William's wars, as 

 an officer of the Earl of Angus, or Cameronian Regi- 

 ment, and attained perfetSl knowledge of this fundamen- 

 tal improvement among the Flemings, whofe pra6lice hq 

 fully defcribes. 



The firft perfon who ad^ually fallowed land in Scot- 

 land, 



