S52 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 9 



loss, to retain the soil in fertility. Such arrancre- 

 ttient may be even necessary, from a regard to the 

 morals of the people; as, from the dissipation which 

 will naturally accompany such a state of prosper- 

 ity, there would be no class of men so apt, from 

 their circumstances, to retain the siiTiplicity of 

 manners and laborious industry of ancient times. 

 Even at the present day, they may be placed in 

 the vicinity of great towns, where the land is al- 

 ready, for the most part, in an improved state, as 

 their habits of industry and temperance would, 

 for sometime, prove a barrier against the spread 

 of the enervated licentiousness of city-depravity ; 

 thoufh it might still be necessary, from time to 

 time, to renew the race from more remote parts, in 

 proportion as the present possessors become con- 

 taminated with the vices of a more luxurious life. 

 This change of tenantry would be of advantage, 

 were it mutual between the parties : for, if those 

 who have been living for a series of years in the 

 neighborhood of a great town, were removed to a 

 more remote situation, their more intelligent ideas 

 in their profession would operate to the more rapid 

 melioTation of the less improved lands on which 

 tliey might choose to settle, while they would lose 

 the habit of dissipation, from being less in the way 

 of tenaptation to indulgence. 



At present, the produce brought to market from 

 small ferms is always less in proportion, than 

 from farms of a larger size : because a greater 

 proportion of it is consumed at home, by the more 

 proportionably numerous stock of unproductive 

 cattle ; an inherent evil in little farms, which no 

 genius in the occupier can obviate : and, in gene- 

 ral, there is even less produced on the ground, 

 from the circumstances before stated, with regard 

 to the abilities of the husbandman himself. With 

 regard to the effect of small farms on population, 

 that will best appear from the next subdivision. 

 3. Of two or more farms lying contiguous, oc- 

 cupied by one farmer; being the general means 

 by which great farms have originally been 

 formed. 



Though this system of letting lands has ever 

 been a grievous subject of lamentation with half- 

 witted politicians, it has nevertheless, in practice, 

 been found to be the most beneficial to the coun- 

 try, and still continues to add to the general pros- 

 perity. 



When two or more farms are conjoined, the fol- 

 fbwing effects arise: 1. The expense of labor is re- 

 duced, in so far as the peculiarities in the soil in 

 one, are contrasted by those in another farm; so 

 that when the land is not in a condition of being 

 labored in one, it may with propriety be labored in 

 another; as in the example of one of the farms 

 being of a dry soil, and the other of a wet; and 

 which is commonly a conducing reason for the 

 conjunction. Even where the soil is all of the 

 same nature, there arises an advantage in the la- 

 boring of a great farm, from the concentring of the 

 strength of men and horses at any particular ope- 

 ration, by which it is got finished in proper case, 

 with less risk of being spoiled, li-om the uncertain- 

 ty of weather, &c. 2. The expense of house-keep- 

 ing is reduced, in proportion as there are fewer 

 families of farmers to maintain. 3. The farmer, 

 having more business, is more abroad in the 

 world; is conversant in a higher line of life; and 

 thus, having more opportunities of information, 

 he,, in fact, becomes better informed; and as he 



has, 4. The profits of a greater quantity of 

 ground in hie hands, he is thence more able to in- 

 troduce an improvement in practice or in stocky 

 from another cjuarler, or belter enabled to propose 

 it himself, from his own observation and ex- 

 perience. 



The real produce of the lands becomes thus aug- 

 mented; and as there is less of it consumed at 

 home, (there being fewer men and horses to 

 maintain), n still greatef proportion goes to 

 market. 



The papulation on the land is also augmented; 

 for althouirh it be true, that the common opera- 

 tions of the farm are conducted by fewer hands, 

 yet there is always some extra work going for- 

 ward in the various operations of improvement; 

 such as, in hedging, ditching, levelling, draining, 

 buildinrr, &c. which the little larmer never would 

 have thought of, or never have performed. The 

 great farmer also excels the little tenant in a cir- 

 cumstance, which, more than any thing else con- 

 duces to the population of the country; which is, 

 that the greater part of his servants arc married^ 

 and have families of their otvn: and this he chooses, 

 not from any afiectation of patriotism, but from a 

 principle of more effective influence — a regard to 

 his own interest; as he finds, that a numerous 

 household of unmarried servants are very unma- 

 nageable, and that he is better served with sober" 

 married hinds, who board in their own houses, at 

 less expense, and more to their satisfaction, as 

 well as his own. 



The following state, in regard to this point, of a 

 farm in the vicinity of Edinburgh, consisting of 

 about 280 Scoitish acres, and which, prior to 1736, 

 was in three farms of two ploughgates each, and 

 which has since been united into one, shows this 

 in a more explicit manner. 



1735. 



Families of farmers 

 Ditto of cottagers 



1793. 

 Family of the fiirmer 1 

 Families of cottagers 14 



Total families 15 



Horses 16 



At the present period, 

 the increase from the 

 married servants does 

 nmch more than supply 

 the population necessary. 

 Their sons and daugh- 

 ters are therefore sent to 

 supply the neighboring 

 towns, or to the smaller 

 farms in the neighbor- 

 hood which cannot sup- 

 ply themselves ! There 

 are also at this time, four 

 young men from this 

 farm at sea. 



Rent 6361. 



As to the question, Uoio large ought a farm to 

 be? I can perceive no bounds, in point of proprie- 

 !y, except those which nature has set to the ge- 

 nius of the farmer, and providence to his fortune; 

 for the larorer that the fitrm be, if the tenant has 

 capital, and abilities answerable, the better it will 

 be, in every respect, to the community; as not 

 only more produce is brought to market, but actu- 

 ally more is produced, from the superior advan- 

 tages the great farmer enjoys, of being more able 



3 



6 



Total families 9 



Horses 33 



At this period, the in- 

 crease from the married 

 servants, was not suffi- 

 cient to keep up the num- 

 ber of unmarried ser- 

 vants, who, of course, 

 were obtained part lyfrom 

 the neighboring villages; 

 be ng sons of weavers, 

 tailors, &c. 



Rent about 2301. 



