igo General Vieiv of the Agriculture July 



'* The followinjT information, afforded me by a neighbouring 

 heritor, appears to place the matter in a new and important 

 point of view, and fhows how highly advantageous the divifion 

 of this commonty would be to all concerned. 



*' This gentleman has lately inclofed about 170 acres of 

 ground, contiguous to, and of very much the fame quality of 

 foil, with the Lomond hills. This ground, in its former ftate, 

 yielded a rent of little more than 13d. the acre. Laft year, he 

 let it as a grafs park, for fifty guineas j and this year, although 

 one of the moll unfavourable feafons experienced for a long 

 time part, it has maintained above feventy head of cattle. 



" From the above experiment, this gentleman makes the fol- 

 lowing calculations : The Lomond hills are of a quality no way 

 inferior to the park above mentioned : therefore he reafonably 

 concludes, that, in a divided and inclofed ftate, they would main- 

 tain above 1400 head of cattle j if grazed with (heep, the pro- 

 fits would probably be ftill greater : a very dlflFerent return, in- 

 deed, from that which the proprietors now draw from it, in its 

 prel'ent negle6led ftate. He concludes with obferving, that the 

 hill abounding with llmeftone and freeftone quarries, the ex- 

 pence of inclofuig would not be heavy." 



Dr Thomfon appears to poflefs jufl ideas refpeding the 

 utility oi lituet \vh::n ufed in hufbandry. He confiders it in 

 the light of an alterative, which we have always found it to 

 be, in the courfe of our praflice. 



A very accurate defcrlption of the Fife breed of cattle is 

 given, chap. 13th A great proportion of the county being 

 •adapted to the breeding and rearing of young ftock, it is 

 undoubtedly a matter of importance that fuitable attention be 

 paid to the fele<5lion of a proper breed. Dr Thomfon dates, 

 upon the authority of a dealer, that a Fife bullock of forty 

 (tones will bring an equal price, in Smithfield market, with 

 an Englifh bullock ten Hones heavier, and equally fat ; and 

 tliat they are j^enerally feledtcd by the butcher for the mofl 

 luxurious of his employers. An engraving of a fine bull 

 lately in the pofleffion of the Earl of Leven, and bred by Mr 

 Robert Ruflel, one of his Lordfhip's tenants, is given, which 

 conveys a very favourable idea of the properties of this valu- 

 able breed. 



Dr Thomfon is friendly to the working of oxen, in prefer- 

 ence to horfcs, though he candidly acknowledges that the 

 general opinion is in favour of the latter, and that " there 

 is nut perphaps one ox employed at prcf;rnt, in the plough or 



cartj 



