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2 ! 2 Agricultural Intelligence. April 



PART IV. 



AGRICULrURAL JNTELLIGENCE. 



Independent of the inaufpicious circumftances which 

 attended the conclufion of the preceding year, the firft 

 quarter of 1800 may be confidered as tolerably favourable 

 to the general purpofes of hufbandry ; and, in the arable 

 diftricls, the labour of the feafon is almoft as far advan- 

 ced as in ordinary years. The weather in January was 

 variable, which prevented the ploughing from going ftea- 

 dily forward. February was, upon the whole, a dry 

 month, and a confiderable quantity of wheat and oats 

 ■were fown upon light foils. A fevere froft about the be- 

 ginning of March prevented the further progrefs till the 

 middle of the month, when fine weather fet in, which 

 has been improved to the utmoi^ by the generality of huf- 

 bandmen. 



It would have given us pleafure to prefent a llatement 

 equally favourable of the rural economy of the higher 

 diflricts, which comprehend more than one half of North 

 Britain : this is unfortunately not in our pov/er. From 

 refpe6lable fources of information, we learn, that plough- 

 kig- in tlaefc fituations Is very far behind -, and that the 

 different ftorms which have prevailed fince laft harveit 

 was finiihed, have not only prevented field work from 

 being executed, but alfo much injured the flock of cattle 

 and Iheep. Fodder, which was originally fcanty, and in- 

 ferior in quality, is in many places nearly exhauited, while 

 the grain on hand is generally unproductive and uniound, 

 yielding a fmall portion of nutritive food to the inhabi- 

 tants, and hardly fit to be ufed for feed. Several coun- 

 ties are in this refpe£l more deplorably fituated than in 

 the year 1782, when fupplies of meal and feed corn were 

 benevolently provided by the landed proprietors and the 

 public. 



Thofe who refledled upon the difaftrous circumftances 

 which almolt uniformly accompanied the crop 1799, 

 i'ron^ its being put into the ground till it was gathered 



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