454 Agricultural Intelligence — Scotland. OSit 



The reaping which I attended to, near Harrowgate, was more 

 cleanly taken up from the Hubble, than any ever I faw in Scotland. 

 Even on wheat-fields, gleaning did not feem worth attempting. 

 Returning, however, through the fine country already mentioned, 

 by Rippon, Northallerton, and Darlington, I obferved many bunches 

 of gleanings on their way home ; but moll of thefe were evidently 

 puiltd, and I faw the cottagers, in feveral places, bufily engaged 

 in cutting off the roots from their gleaned wheat. 



In fpitc of old cullom, I am decidedly an enemy to gleaning ; 

 it encourages idlenefs, when hands are wanted for reaping ; it ini- 

 tiates the young into habits of pilfering, as I know parents often 

 punifli their children if they do not bring home abundant gleanings, 

 which prompts them to fteal, that they may loiter ; it occafions 

 diflioneft reaping, that plenty may be left on the ground for the 

 children and followers of the reapers. I never permit gleaning, till 

 my crops are carried off the ground ; and then, becaufe it is cufto- 

 mary, the gleaners and my cattle may gather in conjundtion. I 

 once counted, above eighty gleaners on a large ftubble -field near 

 Preftonpar.s, in which the reapers mud have committed immenfe 

 wafte, to make it worth while for fuch a multitude to glean. As 

 well might a farmer fcatter uncounted handfuls of money by the 

 road, as he returns from felling his grain, as leave grain, or allow 

 it to be left, waftefully in the field, to be picked up, by non-induf- 

 trious, though bufy poor. Let farmers, and all others, give of 

 their abundance to thofe who really need ; but fcatter not at ran- 

 dom, you know not whac, to you know not whom. 



In this neighbourhood, (Berwickfliire near the fea), a great lofs 

 has been fuffained, in oats that were nearly ripe, when the thick 

 weather came on at the beginning of this month. The necks of 

 all the beft pickles became black and tender, fo that the wind and 

 handling broke them off. I eftimate the lofs, on feveral acres of 

 my farm, at twelve bufhels the acre. Early oats efcaped this inju- 

 ry ; but were a good deal fhaken about the middle of Auguft, and 

 are much difcoloured by the thick weather. I do not obferve 

 much growth on the barley, or wheat, or peas, that were then 

 cut. 1 have made fome difcoloured Angus oats into meal, which, 

 after paying the miller, the Lord knows what proportion, produ- 

 ced 9 bolls of meal, from lo bolls of oats; or 90 Englifh ftones 

 of meal from 60 Winchefter bufhels of oats, which is exadly 21 

 avoirdupois pounds of meal from the bufliel of oats. 



So far as I can pretend to judge, the produce of grain on the 

 good dry foils will be a fair average crop ; and the grain, where 

 not injured by weather, of excellent quality : But, on the 

 clay lands, even the moft fertile, the crop is thin ; perhaps, 



generally 



