26 TIREY. AGRICULTURE. 



As the frequent recurrence of this subject in the 

 different islands might lead to repetitions inconsistent 

 with the principal object of this work, it will be more 

 useful to give a sketch of the agricultural condition 

 of the country in general, reserving for their proper 

 places any peculiarities by which the several islands may 

 differ in practice from each other, and from the system 

 generally prevalent. Without such a sketch, it would be 

 impossible to render remarks of that nature intelligible; 

 on account of the ancient and imperfect practices by 

 which the agriculture of the Western Islands is charac- 

 terized*. The natural connexion indeed between the soil 

 of any country and its geological structure is, except 

 in the case of some alluvial districts, so intimate, that it 

 ig impossible to treat of the geology of a district, without 

 bestowing at least a transient attention on this subject. 

 It would be overrating the advantages of geological 

 knowledge to assert that it can offer much aid to agri- 

 culture, yet it may still be a useful auxiliary in certain 

 cases; independently of the pleasure which is always 

 derived by the scientific labourers in any pursuit, from 

 tracing the mutual aid which the several branches of 

 science and art afford each other. To point out all the 

 circumstances in which the study of geology may bear 

 on the pursuits of agriculture, would lead into a length 

 of discussion ill calculated for a work of this nature. 



In describing the system of agriculture followed in 

 these islands, I shall confine myself chiefly to the ancient 

 practices, which are still the most prevalent; it would 

 be superfluous to dwell on the recent improvements which 



* I shall hereafter merely notice such facts as may occur to illustrate 

 this art, just as they may chance to present themselves in the course of 

 this investigation. Such notices may possibly interest those to whom 

 the country under review is but little known ; and they will at any 

 rate serve to enliven a subject not sufficiently various to keep up the 

 attention of the general reader. 



