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early ripe — and if the sowing were a little earlier 

 than the traditions of the people have made it, the 

 harvests, I believe, would more often avoid the severe 

 gales which not un frequently do considerable damage. 

 Then, potatoes have often escaped the disease in 

 Tyree during seasons when it was destructive on the 

 mainland, and a few years ago high prices were ob- 

 tained by the tenants for the seed potatoes which 

 they raised. Lastly, the quality of the cattle, which 

 is one of the staple products of the island, partakes of 

 the superior quality of the pasture on which they 

 feed, and I have endeavoured, by arrangements for 

 the occasional purchase of good bulls, to prevent the 

 decline in that quality, which is very apt to arise 

 among crofters who have not capital to buy in 

 good new stock with sufficient frequency. 

 General prosperity From all these causes combined, I rejoice to say, 

 that during the last thirty years I have had every 

 reason to be satisfied with the small tenants of Tyree. 

 Until quite lately there has been very little arrear, 

 and they have met their engagements honestly. They 

 have been a quiet, sober, industrious, and generally 

 a contented people. I have been accustomed to 

 regard them with some pride and satisfaction, as 

 decidedly superior to others of the same class in 

 most other portions of the West Highlands. Dur- 

 ing the last two seasons there have been some 

 disastrous gales, an unusually heavy rainfall, and 

 some renewal of the potato disease. But the 

 general prosperity of the tenants has been apparent 

 in everything, and in nothing more apparent than 

 in the comfort of their houses, which are pecu- 

 liar, and indeed unique in warmth and in solidity 



