45 8 Agricultural Intelligence — Scotland. OQ.. 



barley, from 38s. to 42s. ; oats, from 26s. to 303. per boll of fix 

 Winchcfter bufliels — Butcher-meat at Dunfe, per lb. of lyl- oz., 

 beef from 5d. to 6d., and mutton from jd, to 6d. 

 September 30. 1800. 



Rofs-Jhire ^arterly Report. 



The conftant and fevere drought which prevailed during the 

 months of June, July, Auguft, and part of this month, though 

 favourable in bringing forwHrd the harveft, has, in many places, 

 been attended with the moft pernicious confequences. Oats, which 

 is our principal grain, have fuffered moft ; they are not half their 

 xifual bulk, and it is found they meal poorly. Not above one third 

 of them are ftacked, the harveft having been much retarded, for 

 upwards of two weeks paft, by wet weather ; but, fhould they 

 efcape injury from the weather, ftill there mult be a great defi- 

 ciency, and will be found to prove, in quantity as well as quality, 

 far below an average crop. Barley, though not bulky, may be 

 pronounced a good crop upon the ground ; it is of fuperior quali- 

 ty, and a confiderable part of it has been ftacked without a fhower. 

 Wheat does not enter much into the prcfent fyftem of farming in 

 this county : the few farmers who raife that grain, were prevented 

 from getting their ufual quantity fown, by the rains in laft Au- 

 tum.n ; and a good deal of what was fown was ploughed in the 

 Spring. What remains, is veiy thin in the ground ; but the 

 quantity is fo trifling, that it is fuppofcd there is fcarcely as 

 much growing in the county, of this crop, as will fow the next. 

 Peas are below an average crop, in many places having totally 

 failed from the drought ; but they are not a crop of general at- 

 tention. Potatoes will not be productive ; and a great many of 

 that valuable root have been prematurely confumed by the poor 

 people, who, for want of meal, began much fooner to ufe them 

 than ufual. It is diftreffing to fee the patches of the poor cot- 

 tagers fo far exhaufted at this early period. Many families have 

 lived folely upon them for two months paft ; and by thus taking 

 them before they had attained any thing like a full crop, what 

 they expecled, at planting, would have ferved their families till 

 next crop, will not laft beyond Chriftmas. Turnips, where they 

 have not totally failed from the drought, are a pretty good 

 crop. Hay, in many places, v/as fcarcely worth the cutting : it 

 fold from the field at is. per ftone, and none can now be had 

 inider is. 6d. New oat-nieal has been felling at 40s. per boll 

 of nine ftones, and barley from 40s. to 4jS. per boll : But we 

 have fcarcely a market for grain at prefent ; not fo much for 

 want of a demand, as for want of grain to fell. No one will 

 thrafti out at prcfent, for fear of wafting their ftraw before Win- 

 ter, 



