Book I. 



AGRICULTURE IN THE BRITISH ISLES. 



129 



ducing cultivated herbage and turnips, as well as in improving on the formei* methods of 

 culture. But there is reason to believe, that the influence of the example of its members 

 did not extend to the common tenantry, who are always unwilling to adopt the practices of 

 those who are placed in a higher rank, and supposed to cultivate land for pleasure, rather 

 than profit. Though this society, the earliest in the united kingdom, soon counted 

 upwards of three hundred members, it existed little more than twenty years. Maxwell 

 delivered lectures on agriculture for one or two sessions at Edinburgh, which, from the 

 specimens he has left, ought to have been encouraged. 



776. Draining, enclosing, summer-fallowing, sowing Jlax, hemp, rape, turnip, and grass 

 seeds, planting cabbages after, and potatoes with the plough, in fields of great extent, are 

 practices which were already introduced ; and, according to the general opinion, more corn 

 was now grown where it was never known to grow before, than perhaps a sixth of all that 

 the kingdom was in use to produce at any former period. 



777. The Jirst notice of a threshing machine is given by Maxwell in his Trans- 

 actions of the Society of Improvers, t^c. ; it was invented by Michael Menzies, advocate, 

 and he obtained a patent for it. Upon a representation made to the society, that it was to 

 be seen at work in several places, they appointed two of their number to inspect it : and 

 in their report they say, that one man would be sufficient to manage a machine which 

 would do the work of six. One of the machines was " moved by a great water wheel 

 and treddles ;" and another, " by a little wheel of three feet in diameter, moved by a 

 small quantity of water," This machine the society recommended to all gentlemen and 

 farmers. {Encyc.Brit. and Ed, Encyc. art. Agr. Broivns Treatise on Rural AffairSt 

 IntroductioUy ^c. ) 



' 778. Hope^ of Ranleillor, was an active and indefatigable member of the Society of Improvers. He had 

 studied agriculture both in England and foreign countries. Among other patriotic and skilful exertions 

 of this gentleman, he drained the morass in the neighborhood of Edinburgh, then known as Straiton's loch ; 



U4 



115 



(1. Barn 



2. Show-room 



3. MiU-shed 



4. Common stable 



5. Kkiinshorsedo. 

 6.0x feeding.house 



7. Cow-house 



8. Hospital stable 



9. Root and steam- 

 ing-house 



10. Cattle-sheds 



11. Cart-shed 

 la.Carpenter's shed 



13. Smith's forge 



14. Tool-house 



15. Piggeries 



16. Poultrj- 

 . Well and cis 



tern 

 JflS. Farmers kit- 

 ' chen; 



19. Common par 

 lor 



20. Business room 

 '21. Entrance) 



(n. Corn-bam 

 /). Straw end 



c. MiU-shed 



d. Common stable 

 . Hiding horse do 

 f. Hospital 

 fT. Cattle-shed 

 /. Cart-shed 

 I. I'iggeries 



Poultry 

 Piggeries 

 /. Tooi-house 

 m. Carpeiuer 

 H. Smith 

 . Cattle-sheds 

 ]i. Koot-house 

 (/. Cow-house 

 r. Ox tV-'edmg.housf 

 ,. Washing-pond 

 Side road 

 . Entrance to rick- 



yard 

 . Pond 

 . Side road 

 . Mainentranc 



