Cultivating and Improving Wastes. 167 



In Scotland, Mr Maclean of Mark, in Galloway, is one 

 of the most distinguished characters in that line ( 59 ), having 

 improved no less a quantity than 687 English acres of waste 

 land. He conducts this business with such ability, joined 

 to economy, that he never reclaimed an acre, which has not 

 made him a large return for the capital expended. The 

 land he has improved, is upwards of 400 feet above the level 

 of the sea, and the soils are greatly diversified. His example 

 is a great encouragement to all proprietors of waste lands, 

 to set about improving them without delay, as, in that way, 

 their interest would be better promoted, than by any other 

 plan that could be suggested. It is sometimes by paring 

 and burning, and at other times by covering the surface, ac- 

 cording to the nature of the soil, and other circumstances, 

 that his improvements were carried on ( 6o ). 



Among the various modes of improving wastes, that of 

 bringing them into a state of cultivation, by establishing 

 colonies of labourers, fishermen, tradesmen, &c. in advan- 

 tageous situations, has been found beneficial to the proprie- 

 tor and to the public : to the first, because his land is im- 

 proved, perhaps without any expense being incurred by 

 him ; and to the second, because, as a distinguished charac- 

 ter has well observed, when land is given to a cottager for a 

 number of years, under a small reserved rent, he and his 

 family will exert in its cultivation, a quantity of labour 

 which would not otherwise be called into action ; and by which, 

 many thousand acres of land may be cultivated, which 

 would not, in any other mode, pay the expense of improve- 

 ment ( 6l ). 



Public advantages. Whether exertions for the improve- 

 ment of wastes, are beneficial or injurious to the undertaker, 

 there can be no doubt, that they are advantageous to the 

 ^public. By these means, thousands of acres have been already 

 added to the national stock, of arable land, which, in propor- 

 tion to their extent, will continue to yield food for our in- 

 creased population. Besides the multitudes employed in 

 reclaiming these wastes, occupation is provided for as many 

 persons as are requisite for their subsequent cultivation ; 

 and the surplus food, beyond what the actual cultivators 

 may require, increases the fund of provisions for maintain- 

 ing those who are employed in manufactures and commerce. 

 In all these respects, the improvement of waste and unpro- 

 ductive land, is an object of very high national importance, 

 and well deserves the attention, and indeed the encourage- 

 ment of the Legislature ( 6 *). 



