LEWIS. AGRICULTURE. 177 



Although the surface of the interior country is every 

 where a brown peat, it is in many places more susceptible 

 of improvement than similar soils in the neighbouring 

 islands. This superiority does not arise from climate, 

 since there is no sensible difference between this country 

 and the other parts of the chain ; if we except the very 

 mountainous district of Harris, which is subject to an 

 undue proportion of rain. The clay which lies above 

 the rock is here more generally diffused and in greater 

 abundance than in the southern islands; while the 

 thinner covering of peat on the undulating land renders 

 access to it more practicable, so as to admit of its 

 being turned up by the operations of agriculture. But 

 the chief causes are, the form of the land and the 

 frequent receptacles of water, which render it capable 

 of being easily drained ; an improvement almost denied 

 to the flat moory tracts of the southern islands. 

 The progress of wealth may perhaps some day effect 

 a change ; it may even be gradually carried into 

 practice by the industry of the larger tenants and 

 small crofters, if due encouragement be given to their 

 exertions, and the preliminary of draining, (an operation 

 from its expense impracticable by them,) is either adopted 

 by the proprietor, or enforced under some regulation so 

 directing the divided labours of the tenants as to make 

 them tend to a general plan of drainage. It must 

 nevertheless be remarked that this island has been for 

 some time in a state of gradual improvement; while 

 a stimulus is also given by the increasing wants of 

 Stornoway and by the roads now forming in different 

 parts, from which a further extension of it may be ex- 

 pected. It is to the want of capital that we must look 

 for the abandoned state of many promising tracts of 

 land throughout this country. Divided as that capital 

 is, it must be applied in the present manner or cease to 

 be applied at all. It cannot now be extended to a wider 

 and more profitable range of objects, because it can 



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