Ip4 Of the Agriculture of the County of Perth, April 



to the public. Though it is evident, that many circunn- 

 llances mud be taken into confideration, before the pro- 

 per (ize of a farm can be properly afcertained ; and that, 

 at the bed:, it is but an abftra£l queflion ; yet, in a gene- 

 ral point of view, the aflertion made by Mr Fieldhoufe 

 will be found contradicted by common pra£lice. A farm 

 of iTfty acres Englifh meafure, which muft be what i« 

 here meant, cannot, in ordinary years, return a produce 

 exceeding 250I. in value ; of which, the rent and public 

 burdens will at leaft require 75I. One half of the remain- 

 der will be confumed upon the premifes, while a fum, not 

 exceeding 85I., is only left for paying fervants wages, de- 

 fraying intereft of capital (lock, fupporting tear and wear, 

 purchafing grafs feeds, and anfwering that complicated 

 account called incidental expences. The fa^ is, tliat, in 

 the prefent ftate of things, 50 acres of land cannot be 

 managed with the leaft degree of advantage, unlefs the 

 tenant work the farm himfelf ; and, in fuch a cafe, from 

 inftances which have come under our obfervation, his 

 condition will not be fuperior to that of a hired fervant, 

 while liis toil and trouble will be far greater. The mat- 

 ter will not be mended, by faying, that the labour may 

 be performed by the farmer's family -, for they will be 

 found (till more expenfive than hired fervants. 



Where fa6ls can be adduced, it is unneceflary to have 

 recourfe to argument ; in the prefent cafe, the former de.? 

 cidedly contradicts the unqualified affertion of Mr Field- 

 houfe. If any perfon, who has examined the hufbandry 

 of Britain, is called in evidence, his teftimony will prove, 

 that thofe parts of the kingdom, where extenfive farms 

 prevail, are uniformly beffc cultivated, and confequently 

 capable of making the greateft returns to the proprietors : 

 inltance, Northumberland, Norfolk, Suffolk, Effex, and 

 Kent, where the farms in general are of confiderabje ex- 

 tent •, they are cultivated in a fuperior manner to the mid- 

 land and weftern counties, where the fize of farms is 

 much contracted. We might, in fa£t, as well fuppofe, 

 that a petty weaver carried on his trade with equal fuc- 

 cefs as a large manufacturer, who was provided with 

 hands for every department of bufinefs, as think that a 

 fifty acre farm could be managed with greater advantage 

 than one of larger extent, where the hufbandry praClifed, 

 affords conftant employruent to all concerned, and gives 



