4/0 Agricultural Intelligence — Scotlana, OOi, 



though (licep is our ftaple commodity, there are few farms on which 

 the plough is not Icfs or more employed, and many are occupied 

 equally in both ways. The produce, in ordinary years, exceeds 

 the confurr.ption of the inhabitants; and confidcrable quantities of 

 barley and oats are fent to Edinburgh, and other places. 



Laft year was an exception, as, from the failure of the crop, the 

 greatcit part of feed-oats were purchafed from the coaft-fide, and 

 alfo much of the grain needed for bread during the Summer 

 months. The backwardnefs of the feafon, and high price of feed, 

 prevented the farmers from fowing the ufual quantity of grain for 

 the current crop, and occafioued a greater portion of tlie land, 

 than common, to be occupied by potatoes and turnips. The latter, 

 where fown in a regular rotation, and with a proper quantity of 

 dung, promife to be a good crop ; but potatoes, under the belt 

 culture, do not appear to be near fo prolific as in former years. 

 The young potatoes vegetated after the rains, and fet out freili 

 fiioots, though ftill adheiiiig to the parent Item, which, in many 

 ^afes, produced potatoes about the fizc of large peas. The crop h 

 neverthelefs now evidently improved. 



The month of April was friendly to vegetation ; but the fuc- 

 ceedinff mosuhs turned out fo much the reverie, that both corn 

 and grafs were greatly huit. The drought about the middle of 

 July became fo violent, as almoil to annihilate the paftures ; yet 

 itill'the early fown grain was not fo much hurt, though what was 

 lute fown fufFered greatly. 



The hay or fown grafs turned out a middling crop, producing, 

 in many inllances, 2CO ftone, of 23 Englifh pound, upon the acre : 

 but, where eaten in the Spring, or where raifed upon cold ftiff 

 foils, was, in many cafes, hardly worth the cutting. It is very 

 common to eat the hay-fields, during the Spring months, with 

 ewes, when lambing, as they give a ieafonable fupply at that cri- 

 tical period. 



Sheep, notwithftanding the drought, were as good as in com- 

 mon years. That fpecies of llock agrees better with heat than 

 black cattle ; the latter having fufFered feverely, both in refpect 

 of the quantity of milk given, and in the degree of fattening, 

 when intended for the butcher. The lambing ieafon was excel- 

 lent, and the crop of young lambs as good as could be wilhed. 



The oats, peas, and even the bear, where fown early, have 

 turned out middling well ; but the late grains, efpecially of thofe 

 who v/ere foolilli enough to fow their own frolled ieed, are 

 poor indeed. The bear on deep foils is a middh"ng crop ; on 

 I'dlF land, very indiffeient. Peas, of which there is a large 

 quantity fown, the land being mollly new iimcd, are good ; 



unlefs 



