366 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No 6 



equally effective Scotch plough, improved by 

 Small, has now, however, almost entirely super- 

 seded it. The larc^e wacron never came into 

 general use; nor did it extend its influence beyond 

 Mr. Barclay's own lands. It is too expensive and 

 too unwieldy a machine to obtain much looting" in 

 Scotland. 



Mr. Barclay's operations, however extensive on 

 the lands of Ury, were by no means limited to 

 that estate. His improving hand was stretched 

 over a much laro-er expanse of country. On his 

 other lands of Allardice, Hallgreen and Davo, sit- 

 uated about ten or twelve miles Ironi Ury, he 

 made many essential meliorations ; though not to 

 euch an extent as upon Urj^, which, being his fa- 

 vorite place of residence, he exerted himself more 

 etrenuousiy towards the decoration. He had also 

 diHerent places in lease to which his improvements 

 were extended. 



If we confine our ideas of the benefit conferred 

 on the county, by JMr. Barclay's improvements, lo 

 the meliorations which he effected on the lands 

 actually under his own management, his exertions, 

 in this respect, must rank him high in the view of 

 every intelligent and refiecting mind. But his 

 value, as a cultivator, was not so circumscribed. 

 There are other circumstances, that, as an agricul- 

 turist, have extended much further the circle of 

 his usefulness. Among these may be stated the 

 happy consequences, arising from his having in- 

 etructed so many of his laborers in the most cor- 

 rect mode of cultivation, who, diverging in various 

 directions, have carried the knowledge, thus ac- 

 quired, to every ])Iace where they have been era- 

 ployed. To have been in the service of Mr. Bar- 

 clay, always was, and still is, a great recommen- 

 dation to any servant. Some of these have even 

 advanced themselves into a higher class, and are 

 distinguished as tenants, by a spirit of industry 

 and exertion becoming the disciples of such a 

 great master. His example, all along, had also a 

 wide and extensive range. The fame of his im- 

 provements spread far ; and the light thence dif- 

 fused, has beamed in a thousand directions over 

 the face of the whole land. 



Comparative Value. — What may be the real 

 value to the estate itself of Ury, from the im- 

 provments made on it by Mr. Barclay, is perhaps 

 not very easy to ascertain. The only facts on the 

 subject that I have to state are, 1st, Tiiat47 years 

 ago, when Mr. Barclay succeeded to the property, 

 the rent of all that part of the estate which he 

 afterwards improved, was £200 a year. 2d, 

 That the rent now of the pastures, as they come 

 to be let, year by year, runs from £2 to £2 12s. 

 6d. the English acre. The quantity of improved 

 land is 903 acres ; of which about 300 acres were 

 entirely waste land, and afforded no rent at all. 

 The improved land, however, is not all in pasture. 

 There are three farms, comprehending 331 acres, 

 which are under lease at a rent of from 25s. to 

 30s. the acre. The rent, however, of the whole 

 estate, amounts to about £ 1650 a year ; and there 

 can be little question that, were it now to let, it 

 would bring £1800, or nine times its original val- 

 ue. It must not however be disguised, that, ow- 

 ing to the lidl of the value of money, this proper- 

 ty would have rented, at present, tliou.'jh there 

 had not a single improvement been made on it, at 

 £400 a year. But this, at all events, leaves 

 £1400 a year, as the increase of rent made by 



these improvements alone, on this part of the pro- 

 perty. Now, thnuch it should be made appear 

 that Mr. Barclay's improvements should have 

 cost him even more than a principal equal to the 

 above £1400 as interest, yet, as there still re- 

 mains the value of the plantations — a value that 

 is rapidly increasing — there can be no doubt what- 

 ever that Mr. Barclay augmented his fortune by 

 his improvements, very considerably indeed. 



Mr. Barclay began his operation in the year 

 1760; and continued unremittingly to improve 

 and embellish till about 1795. A year previous to 

 this, being elected member of parliauient ibr the 

 county, in the room of Lord Adam Gordon, a slop 

 was put, in a great measure, to his agricultural 

 pursuits. He died April Stli, 1797, iif the 67th 

 year of his age. 



From tlie Riclimond Compiler of August 22. 



OPirflOWS ON THE PROPOSED SOUTHERN 

 ROUTE FOR THE KAIL ROAD TO THE 

 SOUTH-AVEST. 



Richmond must wake iip ! 



The views contained in the article from the 

 Farmers' Register,* have about them so much 

 plausibility, and carry with them so great an air of 

 sincerit}'' on the part of the writer, that for such 

 reasons they pre-eminently claim attention and 

 reflection. Richmond is bound, by every obliga- 

 tion of interest and duty, to scrutinize well the 

 purport and bearing of these remarks, and not 

 permit. her strong claims to be postponed or view- 

 ed as objects of secondary consideration. A strong 

 feeling is at work in behalf of the most southern 

 practicable route for the rail road ; and unless 

 we take an active part in the game about to be 

 played, we muv find that nature has been bounti- 

 ful in vain. We should at least be represented in 

 the proposed Charlotte Convention ; and in the 

 meanwhile our survey or reconnoissance ought to 

 be made, in order that our delegates may be pre- 

 pared to demonstrate, with the certainly of math- 

 ematical truth, every proposition made by them. 

 Nothing should be left to conjecture or specula- 

 tion. \Ve have unjust prejudices to encounter. 

 Let us not iTiultiph.' difficulties by our supineuess. 



From tlie Richmond Compiler of August 23. 



It will be seen that the rail road scheme to 

 Lynchburg is beginning to warm up discussion 

 and invesiigalion ; and well it may, for no subject 

 is at this moment of more vital interest to Rich- 

 mond. The writer under the signature of "Gary 

 Street," has suggested some thoughts which de- 

 serve deep ant careful reflection; and, with him, 

 we think it may be well to consider whether our 

 liberalitj- to Petersburg, in agreeing to go round 

 in that direction, may not be exercised at rather 

 too great a sacrifice. Petersburg is but twelve 

 miles from City Point — Richmond is forty-five. 

 Produce once at Petersburg, no advantage which 

 Kichrnoud now possesses, can draw it here, if ca- 

 [litalists should think proper to locate themselves 

 at the former place ; and every one knows that "if 

 the mountain will not come to Mahomet, Maho- 

 met will go to the mouniain." Carry the trade to 

 Petersburg, and who will be so silly as to bring it 



* See last No. p. 309. 



