142 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 3 



Extract from the auarterly Journal of Agriculture. 



On his return to his native country in 1787, Sir 

 John commenced those improvements on his own 

 estates, which have tended in a gi'eat measure to 

 give a new |)hysiognoniy tothe shire of Caithness. 

 In a paper, drawn up by himself at a subsequent 

 period, he well remarks, "That it is a peculiar dis- 

 advantage attending the cultivation and improve- 

 ment of a remote and neglected district of a coun- 

 try, that every thing is to be done, and that a great 

 variety of new and important objects must be at- 

 tended to at one and the same time. Those who 

 live in a part of the island, that has already made^ 

 considerable progress, can hardly form an idea of 

 the difficulties which must be surmounted, when^ 

 towns and villages must be erected, as centres of 

 communication and business; when roads and 

 hart)ors must be made, for the sake of domestic 

 and of foreign intercourse; when manulactures 

 nmst be established, to provide employment for 

 the surplus population, which an improved sys- 

 tem of agriculture, and the enlargement of farms, 

 necessarily occasion; and wiaen new breeds of ani- 

 mals, new instruments of husbandry, and persons 

 skilled in new modes of cultivation, must be intro- 

 duced from distant parts of the kingdom.^ If it is 

 possible, however, by the application of a great 

 capital, and of great attention, successfully to carry 

 on these objects together, the one has a tendency 

 to promote and to encourage the other; the spirit 

 that is excited for the improvement of one article, 

 rouses a similar spirit of energy in regard to ano- 

 ther; and a new race of people is in a manner 

 formed, who, from a state of torpor, ignorance, 

 idleness, and its concomitant poverty^ are animat- 

 ed to inquiry, roused to exertion, and impelled to 

 obtain by their industry the acquisition of wealth."* 



Nothing can be conceived more unpropitious, in 

 an improveable light, than the estate, as it origi- 

 nally passed into the hands of Sir John Sinclair. 

 It was situated in five parishes, Thurso, Halkirk, 

 jReay, Wick, and Latheron; comprehended 100,000 

 acres, or more than a quarter of the whole surface 

 of the county of Caithness; and was estimated at 

 nearly a fourth of the whole rental. Excepting a 

 few large farms, or what are called Plains, it was 

 at that time occupied by a number of small farm- 

 ers, to the number of eight or nine hundred, hold- 

 incr their possessions in what are called rig and 

 rennel, or intermixed with each other,; and, beyond 

 the outer fence of this motley farm, were nothing 

 but wide unenclosed commons, free to all the neigh- 

 boring proprietors. A moieiy of rent was paid 

 in money; but by ilir the larger jiortion of it in 

 grain, lamb, poultry, and other articles of produce. 



Sir John found it, in the first place, necessary to 

 establish some large farms, with a view of indu- 

 cing persons of a competent property, to direct their 

 attention to agricultural pursuits, as a suitable 

 means of employing capital. As an incentive to 

 of hers, he took into his own hands the farm ol"Stone- 

 field, originally possessed by eight of the small 

 tenantry; yet, deeming that a mixture of small 

 farms is advantageous in a thinly peopled country, 

 he encouraged them to settle in towns or villages, 

 or in what have been since termed cottage farms. 

 Having brought it into a proper state of cultiva- 

 tion, he let it at a very moderate rent, so as to in- 



*See Sketch of the Improvements carrying 

 Sir John Sinclair, Bart, printed anno 1803. 



duce the tenant to build a suitable house, and com- 

 plete the improvements which had been com- 

 menced. To insure this, certain stipulations were 

 entered into, by which the tenant was obliged to 

 go on liming and marling to a certain extent every 

 season; as, without this agreement, it was quite 

 evident that the improvements would neither have 

 gone on in the same degree, nor with the same 

 rapidity. 



To give the new system a fair trial, regular 

 plans were drawn up of the difiijrent farms, by 

 vvhich it was ascertained how they could best be 

 distinctly divided, and in what situations the houses 

 and offices should be built. Services of every kind 

 were abolished, as also thirlage, or restriction to 

 particular mills. The miller was made a separate 

 prolession, whose care it was to bring the corn to 

 the mill, and to carry it to market. The tenants 

 were tied down to a regular rotation of crops, until 

 the advantages of an improved system of husband- 

 ry should be made apparent to them; and every 

 assistance was given them in procuring proper 

 seeds, especially clover, rye-grass, and turnip. 

 The selling of peat was prohibited, as an obstacle 

 in the way of the tenants for collecting manure 

 for their farms; and the burning of coals for fuel 

 was recommended, principally with the view of 

 keeping their whole attention directed to their farm 

 management. Every facility was at the same 

 time given them of purchasing marl; and lime was 

 delivered to them at Thurso, at the lowest price at 

 which it could be imported. Small premiums 

 were also distributed, as an encouragement to in- 

 dustry. Many judicious hints were also at the 

 same time distributed among the farmers. They 

 were recommended in the taking of land to have 

 sufficient capital at starting, and never to depend 

 on credit; to study their profession carefully before 

 commencing it on their own account, and rather to 

 cultivate fifty acres well, than a hundred in a slo- 

 venly manner; to endeavour to raise the best grain, 

 to keep the best stock, and to cultivate the ground 

 at the least possible expense.*" 



By Ibllowing out this system of improvement, 

 in a short time 2181 Scotch, or2617 English acres, 

 were brought under its operation — 1046 as pas- 

 ture, and 1135 as arable land; the (iirmers them- 

 selves contessincr, that they had themselves been 

 amply remunerated, wherever they had rigorously 

 followed out the chart prescribed for them. 



A plan was also laid down for letting the hill 

 farms on Skinnet and Leurary. It was suggested 

 that they should consist, as nearly as possible, of 

 twenty-five acres each, with an acre for house, 

 garden, and offices, while the remaining twenty- 

 four should be subdivided into fields, each of lour 

 acres, calculated tor a rotation of six years. The 

 leases were to be for twenty-one years, and from 

 one to five shillings an acre as rent for the first 

 seven years, with a gradual increase during the 

 remainder of the lease. On entering upon his 

 lease, each tenant, on finding security lor his lay- 

 ing out the same properly, was to get a sum of 

 money to assist in building operations, and, at its 

 expiry, a certain additional sum was to be allowed 

 him. according to the value of the premises -erect- 

 ed. The position of the house and garden was to 

 be under the direction of the proprietor. 



on by * Vide Appendix to Henderson's General View of 

 the County of Caithness, p. 42-46. 



