1 800. Of the Agriculture of the Coimt^ of Perth, 195 



a divlfion of labour according to the refpedive talents of 

 each individual. 



We notice Mr Bailey's note repeated, p. 387, and an 

 anfwer fubjoined by Dr Robertfon, which does not fa- 

 vour of his ufual ingenuity. Mr Bailey does not enter 

 upon the queftion, whether an acre of land, employ&d 

 in producing beef and mutton, will feed as many mouths 

 as the fame quantity employed in ralfmg grain? which 

 we certainly think it will not : He only means, that a cer- 

 tain quantity of land muft be devoted to grazing, and 

 that it is immaterial, whether the farm be large or fmalJ, 

 as butcher meat mufl; be had, in either cafe, proportion- 

 ed to the demand. Dr Robertfon's anfwer, however, 

 proceeds upon the fuppofition, that a large farm inuft be 

 in grafs, othcrwife his argument is untenible. 



Dr Robertfon is a friend to the granting of leafes^ with- 

 out which, he, with great juftice, thinks it vain to expe£i 

 that the hufbaudry of any country will be improved. 

 His arguments under this fe£lion are ftrpng, decifive, 

 and incontrovertible. We are not however certain, if 

 he is altogether fo orthodox, refpecSling the nature of the 

 claufes, or covenants, which fliould bind the farmer ; 

 but we muft acknowledge, that he offers weighty rea- 

 fons in fupport of his opinion. What he fays, p. 433, 

 &c. upon this fubjeft, may be read with advantage, 

 both by proprietors and farmers. 



Under the article " Expence and Profit, " we are pre- 

 fented with a detailed account of the returns from a 

 farm of 74 acres in the Carfe of Gowrie, which, if cor- 

 reft, would be a better argument in favour of fmall 

 farms, than any we have heard inftanced. The rent is 

 ftated to be 3I. per acre, and yet a profit of 310I. 6=,. 2d 

 per annum appears, which is very near four guineas per 

 acre. We are under the necelTuy of offering a few re- 

 marks on the dlHerent articles, being convinced that 

 fach details are very injurious to the tenantry of the 

 kingdom, not becaufe they difclofe the real profits of 

 hufbandry, but becaufe they prefent falfe and miftaken 

 views of the bufinefs, and contribute to imprefs fuper- 

 ficial inquirers with a belief, that farming is a much 

 better trade than it really is. Indeed, if every perfon 

 made fuch handfome profits as the owner^ or tenant, of 



the 



