OF LIVE STOCK. 139 



4. Quantity of Work done. This varies in different pla- 

 ces, according to the soil, and the nature of the work to be 

 executed. In the Carse of Gowrie, it is calculated by Mr 

 Peter Jack of Moncur, that ten horses are absolutely ne- 

 cessary for 160 acres of that strong land, which is only at 

 the rate of 32 Scotch, or about 40 English acres per plough ; 

 but these horses, as is usual indeed in other cases, have va- 

 rious sorts of work to perform, as threshing, driving lime, 

 &c. The land in fallow, must be ploughed in general six 

 times for wheat ; for pease and beans twice ; for oats, after 

 peas, two or three times, and for barley three or four times ; 

 and they have to harrow about the same extent of land they 

 plough. In wet weather, none can be ploughed ; otherwise, 

 instead of cleaning or preparing the ground, it would in- 

 crease its strength and toughness. 



Mr Brown of Markle informs me, that in East Lothian, 

 the quantity of land usually ploughed by a pair of horses is, 

 upon clay soils, about 40 acres Scotch measure, per annum, 

 say eight acres summer-fallowed, eight acres under wheat, 

 (succeeded by grass), eight acres oats, eight acres beans, 

 and eight acres of wheat after the beans. This is given as 

 an average, though, in particular cases, a greater quantity 

 has been cultivated by a plough, than the number above- 

 mentioned ; yet, in many other cases, less is done : Hence 40 

 Scotch, or 50 English acres, is supposed a fair medium. On 

 light soils, one-fourth more may be cultivated than upon 

 clays, and with less trouble to the men and horses employed. 

 A farm with a variety of soils, partly clay, and partly light, 

 has this advantage, that it is practicable to cultivate the lat- 

 ter, when the former could not be attempted with the slight- 

 est prospect of success. 



Mr Dudgeon, of Primrose-hill, in Berwickshire, states, 

 Jhat on an average, for six years past, the proportion of 

 tillage, (that is, of land under corn and fallow), to each 



6 



