Book I. 



AGRICULTURE OF AYRSHIRE. 



141 



7054. KIRCUDBRIGHTSHIRE, 561,6 acres, and WIGTONSHIRE 305,612 acres, possessing 

 great similarity of agricultural character, have been included in one report, as the district of Galloway. 

 The climate moist, but rather warm; in some parts of Wigtonshire in genial seasons, figs ripen 

 on the open garden walls. The soil and surface of Galloway is exceedingly various. Almost the 

 whole of Wigtonshire is very little elevated above the surface of the sea, but great part of Kircud- 

 brightshire is hilly and mountainous. The better soils are for the most part light, and of this and hazel 

 loam there is a considerable portion in Wigtonshire. In some places in Kircudbrightshire it is clayey or 

 alluvial, and there is a great deal of peat-moss, and bog, as well as improved, or grass bearing peat. The 

 rocks of the county are argillaceous, granite, or whinstone, with some freestone. Some mineral veins 

 have been found ; and one of lead, near Gate- House of Fleet, was worked at the expense of the compiler 

 of this work for some time, but without success. In an agricultural point of view, Galloway is chiefly 

 remarkable for its breed of cattle. Gladstone, a millwright, who has invented a reaping machine, and 

 proposed some improvements on the threshing machine, and other implements, is of this district. 

 (Smith's General View, 1810.) 



1. Property, 



More divided than in most of the counties of Scotland. 

 Largest estate, 30,000/. a year. Earl of Galloway's, in Wigton- 

 shire. Estates in general well managed ; landlords in general 

 advance money at five, six, or seven and a half per cent, for 

 buildings, fences, drains, mineral manures, roads, &c. Dun- 

 bar, Earl of Selkirk, a disciple of Craik's, one of the first who 

 set the example of improvement, which has been persevered in 

 by the same femily to the present time. 



2. Occupation. 



In the moors, where breeding cat*le and sheep is the object, 

 farms sometimes seven or eight miles square, some ten or 

 twelve. Arable farms 500 to 600 acres ; 200 acres perhaps the 

 average. Leases nineteen or twenty. one years, to which the 

 late Earl of Galloway superadded the tenant's life. " From 

 this two good effects were supposed to result ; 1st. That the 

 landlord was freed from the exjienses of buildings and repairs. 

 2dly. That the tenant presuming (as we always do) on the 

 continuance of life, would be disi)osed to go on with his im- 



firovements to the last. There is certainly, however, much 

 iberality in the idea." 



3. Enclosing. 



Galloway dykes (2835.) very generaUy in use; some useful 

 remarks on the necessity of bonding them sufficiently, and work- 

 ing the coping-stones to a flat under-surface. 



4. Arable Land. 



Till the middle of the eighteenth century, four and some- 

 times six horses yoked abreast in the old Scotch plough, and 

 tumbrils (carts with low wheels without spokes) and cars in 

 use; now all the improved implements; the husbandry of 

 East Lothian on the alluvial lands and loams, too heavy for tur- 

 nips; that of Berwickshire on the turnip soils; cattle bred 

 on the mountains and moors ; carrots cultivated in some places, 

 and found to answer well ; fiorin tried on bogs ; some irriga- 

 gation; embanking near Wigton and at Kircudbright, and 

 much draining ; also paring and burning, and various other 

 means of improving bogs and flow mosses tried, in conjunction 

 with draining. Com in the late districts gaited. (2940.) 

 Barley is a good deal cultivated, and thm hot bariey cakes, 

 from dough, baked the same mominjg, and spread first with 

 butter, and then with honey, and folded or rolled up (like the 

 teff" of the Abyssinians), form a jjart of the breakfast bread of 

 all who can afford it in Wigtonshire. 



5. Orchards, 



Rare. " Some proprietors furnish their tenants with fruit- 

 trees for their gardens, when they are willing to be at the 

 trouble of cultivating them. But, from the scarcity of firuit m 

 the country, and the idea that the plnndering of an orchard is 

 a very venial trespass, such as do cultivate them, frequently do 

 not gather the fruits. In this we believe there is nothmg 

 peculiar to Galloway. There are a few market gardens and 

 several nurseries." 



6. Woods and Plantations, 



Of a very limited extent,! but rapidly increasing. John, Earl 

 of Stair, planted extensively at Mount Kennedi;, in the bemi- 

 ning of the eighteenth century ; and Douglas, Earl of Selkurk, 

 soon aflerwards. The Earl of Galloway, the present Earl of 

 Selkirk, Murray of Broughton, and various others, are great 

 planters. 



7. Livestock. ,. ^ . 

 The Galloway breed of cattle is well known. The breeders 



perhaps, in general, understand the management of catOe as 



well as, or better than, most others in the kingdom. They all 

 know to distinguish a good bull or a good cow from a bad one ; 

 and fail not to select from their own stock such as are best 

 adapted for the'improvement of the breed : and from this gene- 

 ral attention, it no doubt arises, that the cattle in Galloway are 

 pretty uniformly good. But among them have arisen no en- 

 thusiasts in the profession ; none who have studied it scienti- 

 fically, or dedicated their talents almost exclusively to this one 

 object. No fair test has yet been given, of what might be done 

 by a proper selection of the choicest individuals of both sexes, 

 for breeders, and uniting them in such a manner, as seemed 

 best calculated to diminish their faults and heighten their 

 properties, by crossing the progeny of these from time to time ; 

 and still carefully pursuing proper combinations of the most 

 approved males with the finest females, till the improvement 

 was carried to the greatest perfection of which the breed is 

 susceptible. No Bakewells, no CuUeys, no Ceilings have yet 

 appeEired in Galloway ; who, with a skill, the result of long 

 study and experience, have united sufficient capital, and by 

 the success of their experiments have made great fortunes, and 

 transmitted their names to the most distant parts of the king- 

 dom. Few of the Galloway cattle (comparatively) are fed for 

 home consumption. Dairying with Ayrshire cows has lately 

 been introduced, and very good Dunlop cheese made. 



The sheep for the low districts are of various breeds, those of 

 the highlands the same as in the mountain districts of the 

 counties already described. The South Down is found to 

 answer well in Wigtonshire, and also the Leicester. 



Horses. Galloway formerly possessed a breed of horses pe- 

 culiar to itself, and in high estimation for the saddle ; being, 

 though small, exceedingly hardy and active. Accustomed to 

 a rugged and mountainuus country, and never employed in the 

 draught, tliese were sure-footed, and travelled with spirit in 

 very bad roads. They were of a larger slice than the ponies of 

 Wales, or the shelties of the north, being from twelve to four- 

 teen hands high. It is reported that this breed originated 

 from Spanish horses, which escaped from a vessel of the Ar- 

 mada, that had been wrecked on the shores of Galloway : but it 

 appears probalile from some passages in Shakspeare, that tlie 

 Galloway horses were in repute at an earlier period. It is 

 much to be regretted that this ancient breed is now almost 

 lost. This has been occasioned chiefly by the desire of far- 

 mers to breed horses of greater weight, and better adapted for 

 the draught J and from the little value attached, in times of 

 tranquillity, to horses well calculated for predatory excm-sions. 

 As the soil and climate of Galloway are peculiarly adapted 

 for rearing horses, there cannot be a tloubt that under proper 

 management, they would in general become excellent, and 

 add much to the value of its produce. Hitherto few more have 

 been bred than what is necessary to supply the demands of the 

 district. 



Swine increasing since the introduction of potatoes ; and the 

 prejudice against eating the flesh common to this and most 

 districts of Scotland gradually declining. Ringing not prac- 

 tised, hut the two strong tendons of the snout cut by a slight 

 incision, about an inch and a half above the nose, when "the 

 animal is about two months old. 



Bees of this district produce honey equal, if not superior to 

 any in the world; its excellence supposed to depend on the 

 profusion of wild flowers, especially white clover and heath. 



Game abundsmt ; a few ptarmigans in the highest moun- 

 tains. 



8. Political Economy. 



Roads greatly improved of late, and some cotton, woollen, 

 paper, and other manufactories introduced. 



7055 AYRSHIRR 664,960 acres of irregular but not mountainous surface, and clayey or mossy soil, 

 under a moist climate ; half the county bog, hilly pasture, or waste, and the rest chiefly under alter- 

 nate grass and corn. The agriculture followed is in great part the dairy system ; Dunlop cheese, al- 

 ready described if^S.), being chiefly produced in this county, {Aiton's General View, 1811.) 



1. Minerals. . , 

 Coal and limestone are to be found in most parts of the 



county, and there are several kinds of building stone, but no 

 metallic ores worth working, excepting iron. Coal is the sta- 

 ple mineral, and is exjiorted in large quantities to Glasgow and 

 other towns,'along the west coast, northward and southward. 



2. Buildings. 

 Some good castles and mansions, as Culzean, Loudon, Eg- 



linton, &c. Farm buildings are improving, though but 

 slowly. Some neat elevations, and comfortable interiors on 

 Lord Eglinton's estates; single, {fi^.Hl'ia), and double (b). 

 Each of such cottages is surrounded by a neat garden, con- 

 taining a pigstye, pump, and bee-house ; and the house con- 

 tainmg a porch (1), kitchen, oven, and stair to bed rooms (2), 

 parlor (3), store closet (4), bed closet (5), pantry (G), coal 

 tloset (7), back entrance (8), and water closet .(10), with two 

 garret bed-rooms over. 



3. Occupation. 



Farms small, from 50 to 150 acres, and their culture imper- 

 fect and irregular, though rents are high from the population 

 of the raaniuacturing towns. 



4. Live Stock. 



Horses are bred and sold under the general name of Lanark - 

 shire or Clydesdale, and are in great demand ; as are the Ayr- 

 shire cows for the Edinburgh and Glasj^w dairymen. Indeed 

 these cows are preferred to all others in most parts of tlie low 

 country of Scotland. 



5. Woods and Plantations. 



Most of the proprietors are extensive planters. On the Cul- 

 zean estate are extensive woods, raised in the face of the west 

 winds ; most of the trees lean to the east, excepting the com- 

 mon maple, which is generally erect, or nearly so, and Is one of 

 the best trees for an exposetl sea coast. There are a few na- 

 tive copiiice woods, and some fine old birch, ash, and oak trees 

 round Eglinton CasUe. 



6. Improvements. 



Captain Smith, the proprietor of a small place abounding 

 with peat bogs, about 1790, besan to drain and dig, and lime 

 the surface, and succeeded in reducing the peat to a black mould , 

 and rearing tolerable crops of oats, potatoes, and clover. Af- 



4D3 



