l8oo. jfgrlcultural InttU'igence — Scotlat^. 467 



Invernefs ^larterly Report. 



The fears formerly exprefied re(pe£ling the crop, are too well ve- 

 rified : for, owing to the extreme drought, it is likely to fall fhort 

 of an average, "^rhe wheats will not return a quantity equal to the 

 confumpiion of the country. Bailey, on the whole, comes neareft to 

 an average crop. Oats are defeftive, both in quantity and quality, 

 and peas very indifferent. Fodder muft be exceedingly fcarce, and 

 hay, confcquently, high in price. Potatoes, though in general look- 

 ing well, are much complained of. I have heard of no grain fold at 

 fixed prices, except barky, at 42s. and 483. per boll. Oat-meal fells 

 at 2s. 6d. per peck of 9 lib. Dutch ; beef and mutton 3d. and ^d. 

 per lib. 



The firfl part of our harveft was favourable ; but, fince the 2otK 

 September, we have had very broken weather, and a confiderable 

 part of the grain is ftill out. The Higliland diftricis of the county 

 did not fuffer fo much by the drought as the lower parts ; for, in' 

 the former fituations, the crop, upon the whole, is thought fully e- 

 qual to that of ordinary year-i. The price of lean cattle is very low. 

 Ocl. 4. 



Eajl-Lotlnan ^Mrterly Report. 



The dry fultry weather which commenced early in the Summer, 

 and which we noticed in lall Report, continued with unremitting 

 ardour, accompanied frequently w^ith dry parching winds, till a- 

 bout the end of Auguft, when the wind, fettling in the eafterly 

 points, brought on a tradl of extremely damp weather, being a 

 continued drizzling raifr, known in this country by the name of 

 an eq/lerly harr. As this damp weather was accompanied with 

 a coniidcrab'e degree of heat, and at tlie fame time a dead calm, 

 it occafioned fome damage to the crop that was cut, particularly 

 to the wheat, barley, and beans. Even in uncut barley and Vvhcat 

 that v/eie com.plctely ripe, leveral of the grains appear to have 

 vegetated, though not in theleall lodged. The appearance of 

 the oats is alfo-hi;rt by the wet weather : being moitly ripe, and 

 uncut during that period, they are much difcoloured with the rain. 

 The long continued drought had v/ithered up every pile of grafs on 

 the pallures, and ilinted the grov.-th of every plant under cultiva- 

 tion ; and, before the rain came, the crop was too far advanced to 

 receive any advantage from the moilturt. If the Autumn of lail 

 year had been favourable for putting in wheat in proper feafon, 

 it is probable tlie crop of thut grain wculd have been abundant ; 



for, 



