{ 4 ) 



of my grandfather, Field-Marshal John, fifth Duke of 

 Argyll, who succeeded in 1770, was the first Pre- 

 sident of the Highland and Agricultural Society, and. 

 who spent the latter part of his life almost entirely in 

 agricultural pursuits, and especially in the improve- 

 ment of the breeds of cattle, which had always been, 

 and still are, one of the principal articles of Highland 

 Condition of Tyree produce. So early, however, as the years 1 767-68-69, 

 about 1770. -^ three separate papers, we have very full informa- 



tion, evidently collected with great care, on the statis- 

 tics of the Island. The total population was then only 

 1676, of whom only 69 were employed in handicrafts 

 other than agricultural. It is remarkable that there 

 is only one column for " tenants and hinds," showing 

 that many families were on the dividing-line between 

 re2:ular ao;ricultural tenants and labourers, or cottars 

 with small plots of land. The total number of both 

 classes is only 236, and a separate class of cottagers is 

 numbered at only 104 on the whole island. The agri- 

 cultural tenants properly so called seem to have been 

 1 70. It is still more worthy of remark that in this 

 return, although there is a careful estimate of all 

 kinds of agricultural produce, there is no mention of 

 the potato ; — cattle, sheep, and horses, — rye, barley, 

 and oats are the only products noted. 



The Leases to which I have referred as granted 



between 1753 ^^^ 1762, tlie rental of 1767, and the 



]^[any farms after- reports of 1 768-69, make two facts quite certain. The 



were^theii letV ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ many of the farms, which at a later period 



single tenants. became most lamentably subdivided into very small 



crofts, w^ere then let to single tenants, several of 



W'hom were Highland gentlemen non-resident on the 



Island. The second fact proved by these documents is 



