117S 



STATISTICS OF AGRICULTURE. 



Pabt IV. 



of rtisras.^ never beard of before In M'alcs ; these arc to be 

 ranked among the profits of oocuiuansi 



Horsix, The mil ill Welsh merlins or p dfrwjl are now in many 

 parti ni-.irU extinct thaj m ■ pigmy r* >•. and mar now and 



then he found tn the hilly walks of the Interior of the district- 

 There wen formerly a very good breed nt hardy strong punches, 



lit far riding end walking upon the firm, being ■ cnea bet w ee n 



n good-si/ed horse am) the snuUI merlins | ami rety Useful they 



wen] hut the breed baa ahrjoai ben totaltji neglected and 



lost : fur they cross now too much with the large and sluggish 



cart-horses. 



I* '. Political Eco nomy , 



Roads a* in North Wales, or worse. Koad ploughs in use; 

 a characteristic both oftheb itate and of the nature of the 

 materials. Good Hi lifetime, however j hi the ooaJ dlstrictSyand 



c.pfi ■i.iiiy in Glamorganshire* Manufactures of woollen in 

 manj places; and, owing to the ahundaneeof oak copses, many 

 hides tanned. Pqtiarles on a large scale at Swansea, Cardiff, 

 and other plana Extensive iron and coal worksj lime works, 



and a slate quarry in < '.irdiranshirr. \c 



The Luis fiatssraaw, (lime and iron combined, the stone of a 

 bluish or gTcyiih colour,) though found in many parts of 



England, it nowhere so valuable as that at A berth aw. When 

 burnt into lime, it bof ■ bull' colour, the characteristic, ac- 

 cording to the engineer Smeaton, of all limes setting in water. 

 l.iaa limestone in all parts has a |>ecu!iarity of stratification 

 ami exterior character, so that a rock of it may tie known at a 

 dlstance< The strata are of various thickness, from a few 

 baches bo :i few feel ; and those commonly separated by a few 

 tnches 1 thickness of marley clay. The ferruginous ingredient 

 asemi to l>c concentrated in the interior part of each stratum : 

 the outer side- thereof being more porous, and of a paler colour* 



In inland plans the strata BTC burnt altogether, the argillaceous 

 as well as the ferruginous calcite. Here, at Aberthaw, or other 

 maritime coastSi the strata tumbled down, within reach of the 

 tides, are broken and rolled about, until they are reduced to 

 rounded pebbles or nodules, from a few ounces to many pounds 

 weight ; and these consist only of the nucleus or kernel part, 

 the more uselevs shell being worn off by the abration of the 

 furious tides. These rounded lias pebbles are driven on shore 

 in inexhaustible quantities. 



of agricultural societies there are several ; that of Hrecon 

 instituted in 1765, the earliest in Britain after that of Kdin- 

 burgh. 



Sect. III. Agricultural Survey of Scotland. 



7833. The surface of this country is estimated at 18,944,000 acres, in three natural divisions. The first 

 lies north of the chain of Highland lakes, which stretches from Murray to Mull, and consists of little else 

 than dreary mountains and some moors : the second, or middle division, extends from this chain of lakes 

 to the rivers Forth and Clyde j it is mountainous, but cultivated in the valleys, and on the eastern shore 

 to a considerable extent : the remaining division is covered by hills with some mountains, but almost 

 every where cultivated or improvable, and highly favourable for most branches of agriculture. Though 

 Scotland, as elsewhere observed (770.), was far behind England in cultivation till the middle of the last 

 century, it has now greatly outstripped that country, especially in arable husbandry ; a proof that this 

 is the general opinion of enlightened men may be deduced from the notices just given of the English and 

 Welsh counties, in which it appears that the improvements introduced or attempted to be introduced on 

 arable land are, with few exceptions, the implements and practices of Scotland. In the management of 

 meadows or old pasture, Scotland cannot be conspicuous ; as the climate is not naturally calculated for 

 that kind of husbandry. The winters are too long and severe, and the surface too irregular. In regard 

 to live stock, the palm of improvement was till lately borne away by England ; but though there is not 

 that enthusiasm in Scotland, nor such large prices given for capital specimens, it may be safely asserted 

 that breeding and feeding are conducted as systematically and successfully there as in England. We shall 

 glance at the different counties in the order of their proximity, beginning with that containing the capital. 

 It may be sufficient to mention here that leases are universal in Scotland, generally for nineteen years, 

 often for twenty-one, sometimes for fourteen, but seldom for a shorter period. The poor are supported by 

 voluntary contributions at the church doors ; though an assessment on property, half paid by the pro- 

 prietors and half by the tenants, may be made if necessary, which is not generally the case. Assessments 

 for the poor are common in the border counties and the Lothians, and occasional assessments, imposed 

 upon the same principle, are resorted to in most of the other counties. Voluntary contributions are 

 found inadequate, except in the most thinly-peopled districts. It is therefore a great though common 

 mistake in England, to suppose that there are no poor-rates in Scotland ; but they are comparatively 

 moderate, and will likely continue so while the power of assessment remains with those {the landeo>pro- 

 prietors) who have to bear an equal share of the burden with their tenants. It is here that an essential 

 distinction exists between the poor-laws of England and Scotland. Tithes were commuted for their 

 value in land and land's produce at an early period. Every parish has a schoolmaster, who is paid jointly 

 by the proprietors and the farmers. There is a professorship of agriculture in the Edinburgh University, 

 ably filled by Dr. Coventry, a man of whom it may be truly said, that he is universally esteemed aiid 

 beloved The best account of the agriculture of the' Scotch counties is to be found in Black's edition of 

 the Encyc. Brit. Edinburgh, 4to, 1829. 



783a MIDLOTHIAN, or EDINBURGHSHIRE, contains 230,400 acres; one third hilly and inac- 

 cessible to the plough, and two thirds in tillage, pasture, or wood. The store sheep farming is practised on 

 the hills, and a mixed agriculture on the low grounds. Green crops and potatoes are extensively culti- 

 vated for the Edinburgh market, and most farmers are more indebted to the manure they receive in 

 return, than to the soil, or their superior skill; many of them are townsmen, amateurs, and speculative 

 Cultivators. The Dalkeith Farmers' Society, one of 'the most useful that has been formed, and which 

 htill exists, belongs to this county ; and in it also was founded the British Wool Society, now extinct. 

 A variety of interesting information respecting the progress of improvements in this county, and in East 

 and West Lothian, will be found in Rural Recollections, Svo, 1829, by George Robertson, author of 

 several county surveys, and whose personal knowledge extends from 17ti3 to the present time. {Robert- 

 aon's Survey, 179& Edin. Gax. abridged, 1829.) 



binds hanging to the north always 



1. Geographical Stale and Circumstances. 



Climate tree from extreme heats or colds ; snow seldom falls 

 on the low parts of the country before December, lies from 

 three to ten weeks. In eight rears, the greatest quantity of rain 

 thai f.ll in any year was 5G.8 inches, and the least quantity 

 '.'■<> inches. 



Soil much diversified 

 the meat fertile. 



Muurats. A bed of coal extends across the county from 

 9. U . t.i \. K. from seven to eight miles In breadth ; worked 

 4"T two centuries. Limestone, freestone, granite, and whinstone 

 verj abundant. Millstones in the parish of rainrculrk, also 

 marble. Borne copper and iron ore, marl, and jasper pebbles 

 on Arthurs 



Streams Inconsiderable. E*k [Utk, Gael.) the largest 

 river ; few fish from the riven, or streams, but abundance from 

 the firth or sea. 



SL Property. 



A BOOl S 1" estates in the county, divided hj the reporter into 



'■tws; first class from fc to 3000/. or upwards ; fifth 



class 100L and upwards; sixth class, leasi properties; seventh 



class, properties of cor p orate bodies. Total rental in 17^.">, 



J'.'l .<mm,\ ; Duke of iiiu cleugh the lirst proprietor. 



:> Buildings, 



.Mam. g'-miemen's scats, and some fine ruins of castles and 

 religious houai a. 



A farmer's mains, as it is here call) d, Consisted formerly of a 



set of low buildings, m the form of a square; one side ' 

 pied by the maati r himself, whos ■ hafittatiou a as toiiipoatil of 

 two or three dismal apartments, on an e.mhen floor, having a 

 "u: and a fijw diminutive light*. On another side stood 



the barn. In which the roof timbers, from the Idea of giving 



more strength, were built into the wall from the foundation ; 

 the wall itself not being more than five feet in height. Oppo- 

 site to the barn were the stables and the byre, or cow-house. 

 The stables were totally without division, and the horses fed 

 in common ; but the neat-cattle, less passive, were each con- 

 lined to their stakes. The cottages occupied the remaining 

 side: in the midst of all lay the dunghill. These buildings 

 were made of turf and stone alternate^', or with stone, and 

 clay for mortar : the roof of thatch, or of thatch and di< ot (turf 

 or sods) intermixed. Further details on this subject will be 

 found in Robertson's Rural Recollections, p. 70. 



Farmeries now in the first style of commodiousness. An 

 example given of Gogarbank farm. 



Cottages formerly very mean, now much improved. Robert- 

 son, in hi- Htcnlltctixus, gives a figure of a modern Lothian 

 cottage in its last stage of refinement, which is by no means 

 inviting. 



Farms vary from 100 to 500 acres. Farmers divided into 

 three classes ; speculators, converts from other professions ; 

 industrious lalnnirers who have acquired some property ; and 

 fanners sprung from farmers. 



Speculator*. " In the immediate vicinity of the town, the 

 neater part of the lands are cultivated, not by actual farmers, 

 but what may l>e more properly termed speculators in agricul- 

 ture, people with whom farming is but a secondary object; 

 their chief employment bebu; still what was their original pro- 

 ression, as bakers, brewers, innkeepers, or some other distinct 

 occupation; and who are oftener to be found in their town 

 lodejngs, or In their compting-houses, than in the midst of 

 their Farms, attending to the operations of husbandry. One 

 certain effect* which the speculations of this class produce, is, 

 thai the rent of land Is raised above its natural level; for, as 

 they have always Mime other business to live by, they are 



