jgS Of the Agricnhure of the County of Ptrth. Aptil 



far ; but this, under the increafe of confumptlon, gives 

 no real caufe of nlarrii. While Dr Robertfon is rather 

 partial to the raifing of black cattle, he gives, in our 

 opinion, the bell of all reafons why llicep ought to be 

 kept. To do the fubjed juflice, v/e fliall extraiTt two 

 paragraphs from pagt:s 310 and 311, which meet with 

 our unqualified approbation. 



** This rage for a flieep ftock is ftill going on ; and the 

 cattle mull necefTarily travel down to market, whofe place is 

 anmiaily occupied by fhctp. If wc fuppofe fixty or one hun- 

 dred farms to be every year changed to the fliieep fyftem, the 

 cattle from thefe will help to fupport the numbers at market. 

 This propenfity to ilock with fheep muft be gratified ; but 

 when fully gratified, it muft have an end ; for beef muHbe had 

 at any price ; and when the time comes, that the tables are to 

 be turned againft the fheep fyftem, in favour of black cattle, 

 they who difcern the approaching change, and are prepared 

 for it by breeding cows, will reap the fruits of their difcern- 

 ment. 



" In accounting for the numbers of black cattle at prefent 

 brought to fale, we ought by no means to forget the improve- 

 ment occafioned by the fheep themfelves. They enrich th« 

 quality, and enlarge the quantity of grafe within their walk, 

 more than any other fpecies of animals : they never deteriorate 

 the foil 5 they render it always more and more produftive ; 

 and v.'herever their numbers are increafed upon a certain ex- 

 tent of land, they help to fupport the increafe of their own 

 numbers, by producing an increafe of food. The ground is 

 not only made green, and the heath extirpated by the enrich- 

 ing quality of their manure, but the fineft grafles fpring tip 

 fpontaiieoufly, vi'here it had formerly been fcanty and coarfe ; 

 and when this powerful top-dreffing of our whole hills with 

 iheep dung and urine has been completed, there is little doubt, 

 that, in a few generations, the Grampians will be as verdant 

 as the Ochils ; and that the Ochils had once as forbidding an 

 afpeft as the Grampians. '* 



We defy any perfon to difplay the benefit of the 

 fheep-hufbandry, in ftronger terms than here expreffed.- 

 With the difeafes of fheep, the Doclor appears intimate- 

 jy acquainted. 



We obferve the fame reafons of complaint agalnflthe 

 adminiilration of the flatute work, as have occurred to 

 perfons in other diflri^^s; nor is it furprifing, that the e- 

 vils necefTarily attendant upon a defective fyftem, ftiould 



have 



