SCOTLAND (MANUFACTURES AND COMMERCE). 



157 



herbage and turnips, as well as in improving on the 

 former methods of culture; but the society was 

 broken up by the commotions attendant on the re- 

 bellion of 1745. The abrogating the feudal system 

 in 1748, and the relaxing the rigour of entails, 

 greatly benefited the agriculture of Scotland. The 

 last was effected by an act in 1770, and extended 

 the powers of proprietors, in so far as regards the 

 improvement of their estates and the granting of 

 leases. It was now found beneficial to grant long 

 leases, generally of nineteen years, which greatly 

 increased the skill and industry of the tenants, by 

 rendering them secure of enjoying the benefits of 

 their improvements. A great stimulus was also 

 given to farmers by the rapid rise in the manufac- 

 tures and commerce of the country, which caused 

 an increased circulation of money and an advance 

 of price on grain. The formers now of the lowlands 

 generally, but particularly of the Lothians and the 

 carse of Gowrie, made a complete reform in the 

 whole train of their agricultural operations. They 

 brought extensive tracts of common and waste 

 under cultivation, reduced the number of cattle, 

 and improved the breed; cultivated the artificial 

 grasses, and adopted the use of machinery, of which 

 the most important, the threshing machine, was 

 entirely of Scottish invention. In the mountainous 

 districts, also, a new system was introduced. The 

 numerous little farms, hitherto held by tenants or 

 vassals, were thrown into extensive sheep walks. 

 This, whether profitable to the proprietors or not, 

 was heart-breaking to a brave and warm-hearted 

 race, who were forced to quit their native glens, to 

 which they were strongly attached, and to seek 

 support beyond the Atlantic. 



In arable husbandry, the farmers of Scotland 

 now greatly surpass those of England; yet owing 

 to the mountainous character of the country, the 

 cultivated lands are but limited. Of 18,944,000 

 acres, its computed extent of Jand, only 5,043,000 

 are reported as under regular cultivation. The 

 Board of Agriculture, in their report, do not calcu- 

 late more than 1,800,000 acres actually under 

 grain. Of these, only 140,000 produce wheat. 

 Oats, a hardy plant, and adapted to cold climates, 

 is the staple produce: it covers 1,260,000 acres. 

 Barley occupies 280,000, being raised chiefly for 

 distillation; but in the higher districts, it is not 

 barley proper, but that ruder species called bear or 

 big. Flax is raised in some of the higher lands. 

 Such has been the extent and value of the agri- 

 cultural improvements of Scotland within the last 

 half century, that the country could now supply 

 her whole population with food without importa- 

 tion of corn, while the exports of her manufactured 

 goods pay for all foreign luxuries, and leave a 

 heavy balance in her favour. "What is remarkable, 

 Scotland both exports and imports nearly the same 

 kind of grain, and, deducting the one from the 

 other, it appears that she is annually indebted to 

 England and Ireland for 120,000 quarters of barley, 

 and 180,000 of oats, while, on the other hand, she 

 sends these countries 60,000 quarters of wheat. 

 There being from three to four millions of bushels 

 of malt made yearly in Scotland, chiefly for the 

 whisky distilleries, the great demand for barley is 

 accounted for. See the articles Agriculture and 

 Britain; also, the different counties of Scotland, 

 under their proper heads. 



Manufactures and Commerce. The commerce of 

 Scotland was considerable in the reign of Robert I., 

 and several arrangements relative to the trade with 



Holland and Flanders were made by that prince 

 with William, earl of Hollarid. In 1541, Maxi- 

 milian, duke of Burgundy, granted to the Scots 

 the port of Campvere, in Zealand, as their staple, 

 with ample privileges, under the especial protection 

 of a conservator. An extensive trade was carried 

 on with France during several centuries: but this 

 nearly ceased after the union with England. From 

 that time till about the middle of the last century, 

 the trade of Scotland was comparatively inconsid- 

 erable ; but, subsequently, a revival took place of 

 the commerce and -manufactures of the country; an 

 extensive intercourse was carried on with North 

 America and the West Indies, and with the Euro- 

 pean nations in general, especially with the Dutch, 

 and those on the coasts of the Baltic : since that 

 period the exports and imports have more than 

 quadrupled. 



The manufactures of Scotland exhibit great 

 variety. Flax and hemp are manufactured into 

 different kinds of fabrics, such as sheetings, osna- 

 burghs, bagging, and canvass. The cotton manu- 

 factures have been carried, by means of machinery, 

 to a great degree of extent and perfection. Mus- 

 lins, brocades, lappets of all sorts, imitation shawls, 

 gauzes, spidered, seeded, and numerous species of 

 draw-loom, cambrics, shirtings, sheetings, stripes, 

 checks, pullicates, ginghams, shawls, &c., are manu- 

 factured. Cotton is also made into thread, of 

 which large quantities are exported. Glasgow, 

 Paisley, and the surrounding districts, are the chief 

 seats of the cotton manufacture, which gives em- 

 ployment to 150,000 persons, and of which the 

 annual value is 6,000,000 sterling. Calico-printing 

 is also carried to a great extent. The great iron- 

 works established in Scotland deserve particular 

 attention, and that at Carron, near Falkirk, is the 

 largest manufactory in Europe. Ship-building also 

 forms an important branch of national industry; 

 and there are manufactories of glass for all the dif- 

 ferent sorts of bottle, window, and flint glass; also 

 of soap, candles, and starch, salt, &c. There are 

 tanneries, breweries, and distilleries, and almost all 

 articles of ordinary use are manufactured in Scot- 

 land. The whole manufacturing product is esti- 

 mated to exceed in value 14,000,000 sterling 

 (including the raw material), employing nearly 

 300,000 persons. The different fisheries have 

 been prosecuted with great industry and success. 

 The whale fishery, to Davis's straits and Greenland, 

 employs a great number of ships. The white 

 fishery is also prosecuted with great industry along 

 the Moray firth, Shetland, and the Western islands, 

 and yields profitable returns. The herring fishery 

 is carried on along the whole coast of the kingdom 

 with great success, as is also the salmon fishery in 

 all the different rivers. From the ports on the 

 eastern coast of Scotland, a great trade is carried 

 on to Holland, Norway, Sweden, and the different 

 states on the Baltic. This trade has greatly 

 increased of late years. The imports principally 

 consist of flax, hemp, yarn, linen, iron, corn, wood, 

 tallow, and other commodities produced in these 

 countries; and, in return, colonial produce, cotton 

 goods, and other manufactured articles, are exported. 

 The chief shipping ports are Leith, Dundee, Ar- 

 broath, Montrose, Aberdeen, Peterhead, Banff, and 

 Inverness. The trade with Spain, Portugal, and 

 the Mediterranean, is carried on from Leith and 

 other ports; and the connexion with Canada ex- 

 tends to all the most considerable towns on the 

 east coast of Scotland. The commerce of the west 



