Introductory. 5 



merely sought to conserve the experience of the past as 

 a creed for the present, and a guide in the future. 



And the changes mooted must have seemed exceed- 

 ingly revolutionary. It was not at an early date in the 

 century, hut towards the latter part of it somewhere 

 between the years 1770 and 1780 that a decent woman 

 in the district of Garioch, in Aberdeenshire, found her- 

 self left a widow, with two sons coming toward man's 

 estate. The family had cultivated the same farm for 

 several generations, perfectly contented with their lot. 

 It was a good farm ; but under a constant succession of 

 cereal crops, with no variation except from oats to here 

 every third or fourth crop, even good " intoon" land 

 did not improve ; and now the elder son and heir to 

 the "tack" like a headstrong young man, and disregard- 

 ing the example of his seniors would follow the new 

 fashion of husbandry, which some of the neighbouring 

 lairds had begun to practise. His mother was sadly 

 distressed at the idea ; but what availed it that she had 

 the sympathy of her younger and more timorous son if 

 the other would have his way ; his latest extravagance 

 was the determination to apply lime-shells as a quicken- 

 ing manure to the exhausted and inert " rigs." The 

 perplexed widow could only send for a neighbour 

 farmer of acknowledged sagacity and prudence to de- 

 cide what ought to be done. The neighbour came, 

 duly took note of what was going on, and, seeing the 

 hopelessness of the case, proceeded to discharge his 

 office of counsellor faithfully ; and of course, very 

 adversely to the youthful improver, winding up with 

 this deliverance " Weel, 'oman, I dinna believe that 

 that loon '11 halt till he herry ye oot at the door, an' 

 syne gae to the sodgers." The result of this " finding" 

 was that the hot-headed young man threw up his birth- 

 right and was paid off with the sum of 30 sterling, his 

 cannier brother assuming the office of farmer in his 

 stead. The wilful young man did not go to the soldiers, 

 it may be said, but betook himself to the county town 



