Book I. 



AGRICULTURE IN THE BRITISH ISLES. 



127 



such as suited his particular object. These were reared by experienced men, who gave 

 their principal attention to this branch alone ; and having the best females as well as males, 

 they were able to furnish the necessary supply of young males in the greatest variety, to 

 those farmers whose time was occupied with other pursuits. The prices at which 

 Bakewell's rams were hired, appear enormous. In 1789, he received twelve hundred 

 guineas for the hire of three brought at one birth ; two thousand for seven; and, for his 

 whole letting, at least three thousand guineas. {Encyc. Brit. art. Agr.) 



768. Bakewell died in the fjeginning of the present century : his chief coadjutors in the improvement of 

 stock were Cully, and Bailey of Northumberland, whose valuable works on live stock, and other subjects, 

 with some notices of their lives, will be found in the proper place in Part IV. of this work. 



769. Menno sheep were first brought into England in 1788, when his majesty procured 

 a small flock by way of Portugal. In 1791, another flock was imported from Spain. In 

 1804, when his majesty's annual sales commenced, this race began to attract much notice. 

 Dr. Parry, of Bath, has crossed the Ryeland or Herefordshire sheep, with the merinos, 

 and brought the wool of the fourth generation to a degree of fineness not excelled by that 

 of the pure merino itself; while the carcase, in which is the great defect of the merinos, 

 has been much improved. Lord Somerville, and many other gentlemen, have done them- 

 selves much honor by establishing this race, so necessary to the prosperity of our woollen 

 manufactures, and in removing its defects by their judicious management. {Encyc. Brit. 

 art. Agr.) 



770. The other advances made in agriculture subsequently to the middle of the eighteenth cen- 

 tury ^aTe the general improvement of implements, especially of the swing plough, (Jig.lll.) 



Ill 



by Small, about 1790 ; the invention of the best description of threshing machine, (^.112.) 



by Meickle, soon afterwards ; the improvement 212 



of the one horse cart (fig. 113.) the invention 



of several reaping machines, by various artists ; 



the improved method of draining, by Elkington, 



in 1 760 ; the introduction of the ruta buga, or 



Swedish turnip, in 1 790 ; of the potatoe tuber 



into field culture, in 1788 ; of the rotation of 



crops, gradually from 1 700 ; the use of summer 



wheat, in 1800; and the sowing of winter wheat 



in spring, from 1795. Of these, and a variety 



of other topics, the historical details will be 



found where they are respectively treated of, in 



the course of this work. 



771. 2Vie agriculture of Scotland, as we have 

 seen (749.), was in a very depressed state at the revolution, from political circumstances. 

 It was not less so in pointof professional knowledge. Lord Kaimes, that excellent judge 

 of mankind, and sound agriculturist, declares, in strong terms, that the tenantry of Scot- 



113 



