4^3 •^gnciiltural Intelligence — Scotland. Ocl. 



At prcfent (in the beginning of OAobcr) our weather is wet and 

 cold. Wc arc thankful for the good weather we have already got ; 

 and truft in a gracious Providence, that the year will be crowned 

 with hisgoodnefs. Otlober 2. iBoc. 



Pirthjhire ^larierly Report. 



The county of Perth is fo extenfive, that the ftate of the crop in 

 one diftrirt can hardly be accounted a true criterion of the general 

 ilate of the harvefl: over the whole ; yet, fo far as the fituation of 

 this county has fallen under my obfcrvation for fome weeks, I am 

 defirous to acquaint you ; that you may judge in what degree it 

 may be of ufe to the public, througli the medium of your Mifcel- 

 lany. 



The extreme drought laft Summer, and part of this Autumn, had 

 parched the ground fo much, that two kinds ot foil have proved very 

 xinproduftive ; the light farid and gravel, and alfo the lliff coheuve 

 clay or till. The tirft was too porous and open, to refill the influence 

 of the feafon ; the laft was of lo clofe a texture, that it became hard 

 as a Iheet of iron, and locked up all the principles of vegetation. 

 All our crops have failed in both thefe kinds of toil. The llraw is 

 extremely fhort, infomuch that, in a variety of inflances, it was im- 

 poffible to gather any by the fickle : the people were obliged to pull 

 the crop, as they do lint, or to cut it dov.n with the fcythe. The 

 grain is generally meagre and thin ; being blanched under a burning 

 lun, before the ufual feafon of ripening. 



Wherever the crop grew from old lea, or from a deep loamy foil, 

 or on level haughs, where the moifture was abundant and not eafily 

 exhaled, or in the narrow glejis of the Highlands in the vicinity of 

 mountains, which attracted clouds and occafional vapour, being che- 

 rif.ied by thefe favourable circumftanccs, it has proved abundant, 

 the grain well filled, and the ilraw no fcantier than ufual. 



Upon the whole, however, the infiances in which the crop has 

 been as good as ufual, do by no means counterbalance the inllances 

 in whicK it has failed ; fo that, in my opinion, taking the whole 

 county at an average, v.'e may be faid to want a third part of what 

 is eflimated a fair crop. 



Since the middle of September, the weather has broke, which is 

 a critical feafon for the greater part of this county ; and if the 

 ains continue, which is very likely, from the long tract of dry wea- 

 ther lately palt, we may lofc a great part of what remains ilill in the 

 fields. 



It 



