45<^ Agricultural Intdl'tgence — Scctlatid. 0£t 



Our remote fituation, no doubt, fubjcfts us to certain inconveni- 

 ences in regard to markets ; and pcrhajjs many ip.ttUigcnt men, iu 

 other parts of the kingdom, have formed very erroneous opinions 

 and notions of the fertihty ot our foil, and the nature of nur cli- 

 mate ; but they fhould not forget, that, in the oldcd Scotifh Law 

 Book, the Regiam Majcllatem, the Caltlmcfs boll is laid down for 

 a ftandard mcalure ; and, as fadts aie ilt:bborn tilings, I here give 

 you a correft ftatement, taken from the Cullom-houfe books of the 

 port of Thurfo, of the quantities of grain and meal fhipped off, 

 of the growth and produce of Caithnefs, of crop 1799, v.hich, 

 being compared with the Hate of other counties, in that feaion of 

 general fcarcity, will convince your readers, that. In point of agrl* 

 culture, this diftrift is not (o far Lcliind as many fuppofe it to be. 



Grain and Meal fliipped off, viz. 



Boll". 



Wheat - - - . 36 



Barley, bear, or bigg - - - - 6,847 



Oats - - - . 2,472 



Peas and beans - - - 12 



Oat-meal, of 140 lb. avoirdupois per boll - 9,020 



Barley-meal, of 156 lb. avoirdupois per do. J>370 



i9>757 



Ecfides feveral quantities, fent partly over land, 

 and partly in boats from difiercp.t creeks, to 

 the neighbouring countier., without Cuilom-' 

 Jioufe difpatches, not under - - 1,600 



In all 21,357 



You will obfcrve, that not a boll was imported ot brought coaft- 

 wife into the county, and the inhabitants were plentifully fupplicd. 



The Caithnefs boll of barley and oats is 5 per cent, better than 

 the Linlithgow (landard. 



BervjichJJjire ^larterly Report. 



The fine warm \veather, which commenced in July, with the un- 

 remitted continuance of drought, made corn ilioot prematurely into 

 ear, and brought harveft on much earlier than was expedled : ma- 

 ny farmers had begun reaping previous to the 20th of i\uguil, 

 lince which there has not been 20 days entirely free of ruin ; 

 from the 3d to the icth of September, it rained almofl inceffantly, 

 by which the cut corn was greatly fpro'uted, and even (landing 



coru. 



