634 



PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part III. 



3850. The village of Bridekirk on. the Annan, in Dumfneshire (Jig. 571.), was begun in 1800, by Gen. 

 Dirom, and is thus described by him in the survey of the county : " It is situated at a part of the river 

 which affords falls and power capable of turning any weight of machinery ; and 1 have had it in view to 

 give encouragement to manufacturers, to whom such a situation is an important object. A woollen manu- 

 factory {a) upon a large scale, and the most approved plan, has been established there for ten years, and is 

 gradually increasing its machinery. In this village there are already, in the course of that time, about 

 two hundred and fifty industrious inhabitants, and it has every appearance of a further rapid increase. 

 On the opposite side of the river a situation is fixed on for corn-mills (i), where a complete set has been 

 built upon the best construction, including wheat and barley mills. Half of the water there is reserved for 

 any other works, and is likely to be let for a mill for dressing and for spinning flax, and for machinery 

 required in bleaching, there being at the foot of the mill-race a holme of six acres (c), well calculated for 

 a bleach field ; and I propose to let part of it for such a manufactory. 



3S51. " The lots for building and gardens in the village, each consisting of from nine to ten falls of ground, 

 are granted in perpetuity at the rate of six pounds the Enghsh acre, either upon leases for 999 years, or 

 feu-rights, as the settlers choose ; the former being generally preferred, as being the holding or title 

 attended with least expense. This rent would of itself be no object when the waste of ground in streets 

 and enclosures is considered; but the great advantage to be derived from such an establishment is, the 

 increased value that lands acquire from having a number of industrious people settled in the heart of an 

 estate. Each person who feus a house-stead is obliged to build with stone and lime, according to a regular 

 plan ; and a common entry is left between every two lots for access to their offices, which are built imme- 

 diately behind their houses; and the whole of the buildings are covered with slate. The feuers are also 

 bound to make a common sewer through their property when required; to pave ten feet in front of their 

 houses, between them and the street ; and to pay at the rate of a penny per fall yearly, according to the 

 extent of their lots, to form a fund for keeping the streets and roads in repair, and for making small im- 

 provements. No person is allowed to sell liquor of any kind without my permission ; nor can any shop 

 or chandlery, tannery, or other work, that might be considered as a nuisance, be set up or built, unless in 

 places allotted for these purposes; and to prevent all interference on the part of the feuers, I reserve to 

 myself full liberty to make such alterations as may appear tome or my successors to be proper in the plan 

 of the village. These regulations are the best security against having vagabonds in such a place, as none 

 but industrious people can afford to build or rent such houses." 



S852. A new village sea-port in Devonshire was formed by Sir Lawrence Palk, in the northernmost part 

 of Torbay. A new pier, projected south- westwardly from the eastern cliff', affords complete protection to 

 shipping from the south-east winds. The regularity of the buildings lately raised for the accommodation 

 of company resorting liither for the convenience of sea-bathing, adds neatness and beauty to the wild and 

 picturesque scenery of its natural situation ; and, from the size of the vessels the harbour is now capable 

 of protecting whilst they receive and discharge their cargoes, there are well-grounded expectations that 

 this place will become of some maritime consequence on a future day. A plan of this sea-port {Jig. 578.) 



578 



is given in the Devon Survey, and is described as containing a pier (1), quay (2), harbour (3), ware- 

 houses (4\ inn and garden (5), stables (6), strand (7), cove for building ships and timber yard (8), beacon 

 (9), cove for bathing machines (10), new carriage-way to the park (11), terrace (12), the park (13), plant- 

 ation (14), road to Torwood (15), road from Newton, &c. (16), meadows (17), circus in the park (18). 



Chap. VII. 



Of Mines, Quarries, Pits, and Metalliferous Bodies. 



3853. Against mines, as a species of property, considerable prejudice has long existed, 



from the variation of their produce, and the uncertainty of their extent and duration. 



Modern discoveries in geology, hov/ever, have thrown great light on the subject of mining, 



and introduced into the art a degree of certainty not before Contemplated. In proof of 



