1180 



STATISTICS OF AGRICULTURE. 



Pa SIT IV. 



and threshlnp machines early noticed and recommended by 

 <hio society. Tlie farmers in this county have long had in con- 

 templation to get instituted by lei^al authority a society for 

 the creation and manaijement of a pensionary fund for the 

 widows and orphans of farmers, on principles similar to those 

 which govern the widosvs' fund of tlie ministers of the Church 

 of Scotland. 



An appeiulix to the report contains thirteen papers, some of 

 which are curious in an liistorical point of vie-w ; and as sho'wing 



how soon, in a rapidlv improving age, a man's best ideas and 

 remarks are distancetl by those of a iew years afterwards. One 

 of the^e papers descril)es the origin and progess of the British 

 Wool Society, which was begun in this county by Sir John 

 Sinclair, in 1791. The economy of Johnston's clairy is deserv- 

 ing of notice for accuracy in the details, and for new practices, 

 such as making butter firom whey, feeding cows on whins, &c. 

 Mdcknight, aiiother amateur, and Hepburn, an ingenious 

 landlord and cultivator, are also worth reading. 



ISSi. EAST LOTHIAN. 190,363 acres of surface, under an exceedingly variable climate, the greater 

 part of excellent soil, and well adapted for cultivation ; but the southern district, Lammermuir, hilly 

 and mountainous, with a moory soil, severe climate, and chiefly under native grass and herbage. Some of 

 the most distinguished Scotch agricultural patriots, authors, and mechanics belong to this county, as 

 Cockburn of Oriniston, Thomas sixth Earl of Haddington, P'letcher of Salton, Adam Dickson, Robert 

 Brown of Markle, the projector, and for a long time editor, of the Farmer's Magazine, Somerville, author 

 of the agricultural Report, Mcikle, inventor of the threshing machine, and various others. {Somerville' s 

 General View, 1805.) 



1. Property. 



(lenjrally in considerable estates; the largest about 15,000/. 

 and not many under 100/. a year. Tenure generally of the 

 crown (i. t. freehold), some hold of subjects superior (copy- 

 hold), and some of the corporate towns of Haddington and 

 Dunbar. 



2. Buildijifrs and ImplemenU. 



It may be sufficient to state that they are such as we have 

 described in the body of this work as of the best description. 

 Farms generally large; medium of the county about 400/. a 

 year ; highest 1500/. to 1800/. The first enclosures were made 

 about 1720; farmers were introduced from Holland in 1710; 

 tho two-horse plough in 1772 ; and the first threshing-machine 

 in 1786. Fallowing was introduced from England about the 

 same time as hedges. The sixth Earl of Haddington was the 

 first (iroprietor, and John Walker, of Beanston, near Dunbar, 

 the first farmer. He took the hint from some English travel- 

 liTs, while they spt-nt a night at his house, and with whom he 

 had a good deal of conversation upon the subject, so much to 

 his satisfaction, that he made an experiment upon six acres the 

 following summer, which he carried through in spite of the 

 animadversions of his neighbours, who were divided in their 

 opinions as to the sanity of his mind, or the stability of his cir- 

 cumstances. The residt of the experiment gave them abetter 

 opinion of both, and the return was so abundant as to induce 

 him to extend his next year's fallow break to twenty acres ; soon 

 after which the practice began to spread, and so early as the 

 year 17'24, fallowing upon all the deep strong soils was common 

 throughout the county, and has continued to be so ever since. 

 Thre can be no doubt that the early excellence of the East 

 Lothian agriculture was in a great measure owing to the intro- 

 duction of fallowing, which, together with the use of drill 

 crops, have continued to place it at the head of the Scotch 

 counties. Potatoes introduced to field culture about 1760; 

 turnips first by Cockburn, of Ormiston, about 1720; re-intro- 

 duc.^ and cultivated in the drill manner in 1760. Flax sown 

 from time immemorial, bu* chiefly on a small scale, and for the 

 I'.ome consumption of the country inhabitants. Every cottager 

 has a small quantity, from ha'f a peck to a petvk sown, the pro- 

 duce of which furnishes linen for the use of his family. 



Lucern tried with the greate^t care ; but, owing to the cli- 

 mate, it was found to produce less bulk of herbage than red 

 clover. 



S. Grass. 



Natural meadows and pastures are not adinitted into the 

 East Lothian system of husbandry, as they are found only where 

 nature, or certain local circumstances, render them, in S'.me 

 measure, unavoidable, and are never kept voluntarily, or from 

 an idea of profit. Many farmers fallow land to lie for a few 

 years in grass, especially where it has been exhausted by long 

 and imperfect tillage; but fields of this description are not to 

 be ranked as permanent pastures, for tlie object is to restore 

 them, as soon as possible, to a state capable of bearing corn- 

 crops to advantcige. 



Cloven introduced by the sixth Earl of Haddington and 

 Cockburn, about 1720 or 1V22, but made little progress tiil 

 1740; now generally sown wi h rye-grass. Application, graz- 

 ing, soiling, and hay, but chi fly soiling. 



4. Gardens a?td Orchards. 



Some few market gardens and nurseries ; but the climate 

 does not admit of orchards, which are very rare. Every cottage 

 has a garden anaeJi.ed, sufficient to produce the various com- 

 mon kitchrat vegetables for the cottager's family. This class 

 of people are remarkably attentive to the cultiva; ion of tlieir 

 Uttle spots, and derive great advantage from them, at small 

 cost ; the labour is entirely performed after their ordinary work 

 is finished. 



,'5. Woods and Plantations. 



Scarcely any of the former, and none of the latter, of any ex- 

 tent, excepting in gentlemen's parks. 800 acres on Tynning- 

 ham demesne planted by the sixth Earl of Hatldington, who 

 wrote a treatise on planting, about 1715. Osiers cultivated by 

 the late Mr. Sherritf, of Captain Head, for which, in 1803, he 

 received the gold medal of the Society of Arts. 



6 Wastes and Commons. 



Are in this as in other Scotch counties generally enclosed, 

 which is here an easy matter in comparison to what it is in 

 England, in consequence of a general Act of Enclosure by the 

 Scottish Parliament, in 1695. 



7. Im.ryrovem.ents. 



Paring and burning little kno^frn, and not wanted, because 

 Tery little ground is kept long in pasture that can to profitably 

 employed in tillage, and new grass lands do not require these 

 operations. 



One attempt at irrigation on a sandy waste near Dunbar, the 

 levels of 'hich were taken by, and the water turned on under 

 - the direction of, the compiler of this work, in 1805. 



8. Live Stock. 



Tiie practice of Ea.st Lothian, in tl.is department, does not 

 present much that can be generally interesting, (irazing, in 

 nine cases out often, is carried on only as subservient totillase, 

 and tlierefore held a secondary object by cultivators. Many 

 cattle are fed, but very few reared, in the county. Almost 



every person who practises the sheep husbandry, in the lower 

 districts, buys and sells within the year. Some recent attempts 

 have been riiade to keep flocks of full bred sheep, and, there is 

 reason to believe, with considerable success ; but, taking the 

 county generally, such attempts are of little importance. 



Catle. Every farmer keeps a small number of milch cows, 

 but few keep more than are sufficient to furnish a regular supply 

 through the whole year, of milk, butter, and cheese, for their 

 own fami.ies. The same attention accordingly is not paid to 

 the kinds of cattle, as in other districts, where they form a more 

 important object of farm management. 



A very considerable number of black cattle are purchased 

 annually at fairs and markets, to be wintered in the fold-yard, 

 or fSd on turnips in the house. Cattle kept for the dairy, or fed 

 for the butcher-market, comprehend all that are to be found 

 in the county ; none are employed in labour. Every part of 

 farm-labour, in which beasts are employed, is executed by 

 horses. 



S/teep. Permanent flocks, and regular sheen managemen*, 

 may be said to be almost confined to the higher parts of the 

 county. In the low country they are kept chiefly to eat the 

 turnips, and sometimes sown grr.ss, which is permitted to lie 

 a year or two for pasture. Flying flocks are therefore general'y 

 kept; and as soon as they are fattened for the market, which 

 is usually within the year, they are sold ofT. A considerable 

 number of lambs likewise are reared, only so far, however, as 

 to render them fit for the butcher. 



As the great object in the lower districts is feeding, little 

 attention is paid to particular kinds ; every farmer keeps those 

 wliich he thinks are likely to pay best for the food which they 

 consume. The black -faced, or Tweed-dale breed, are most 

 generally preferred for feeding on turnips, because they are 

 most esteemed in the nicirket ; but many of the Cheviot breed 

 are likewise kept, and even some of the improved Leicester. 



The kind of sheep bred, and most generally kept, in Lam- 

 mermuir, is the black-faced, or more properly what is called 

 the brocked-faced, a sort of dirty-looking mixture of black and 

 white ; they are for the most part horned : when they are fed 

 the wedders weigh from ten to twelve pounds per quarter, and 

 the ewes from eight to ten on an average. 



The Bakewell breed has been trii'd, but not extensively till 

 lately. Leicesters are now much more common in East" Lo- 

 thian than they were twenty years ago. 



The Cheviot sheep were introduced several years ago, and 

 arelceirt with advantage in many places. It is not the general 

 opinion, however, that they can ever universally supplant the 

 native breed, or even become equally numerous, with profit. 



Of hortea very few are bred in the county, not one perhaps 

 in a dozen that are kept. In a district so well calculated for 

 raising com, it is more profitable to purchase horses, ready 

 for work, than to be at the trouble and expense of rearing 

 them. 'The farmers here are supplied with this part of stock 

 chiefly from the dealers of Ayrshire and Lanarksb.ire, who col- 

 lect many of them in these counties, and procure not a few 

 from Ireland. The horses generally kept are of that moderate 

 size, which may be considered as equal perhaps to any others 

 for combining strength with activity. They may he stated, 

 generally, to be about fifteen or sixteen hands high, and strong 

 built. Many teams are well matched, very handsome, capable 

 of great exertion, and kept in excellent condition. 



C)ne will hardly be at a loss to determine the character of a 

 farmer, from the" condition of his horses. Very fine high bred 

 horses, exhibiting an appearance of being prepared for the 

 market, may rather suggest the idea of idleness than of labour ; 

 but, on the other hand, lean spiritless creatures, worn out by 

 toil and hunger, are the certain indicatives of a bad farmer, of 

 one who is not thriving, and does not deserve to thrive. The 

 man who uses bad instruments cannot have his work well 

 done ; and one important and primary step towards good firm- 

 ing, is to keep the labouring stock in pood condition. Horses 

 regularly fed and regularly wrought will perform a great deal 

 of labour without falUng off either in strength or appearance ; 

 it is of great importance, therefore, to distribute the labour as 

 equal y as possible, through the various seasons of flie year; 

 and if, as must sometimes be the case, an extraordinary exertion 

 ought to be made, they are in a proper condition for making it. 

 M'hen horses do fail off, it requires much more to restore them, 

 than might have kept them in a good state. 



Ho;rs are kept in considerable numtors, in this county, at dis- 

 tilleries, starch work, mills, and breweries. Every farmer 

 keeps a few, chiefly for supplying his own table, and the gene- 

 rality are able to sell some annually. Farm servants too, who 

 have houses, are generally allowed to keep a pig for each family, 

 which adds greatly to their comfort. 



Poultry, ptgeoni, and beet, kept to a moderate extent for home 

 use. Much land on the coast, which would be thought by many 

 unfit for any thing but rabbit warrens, now bears turnips and 

 r\e. 

 9. Rural Economy. 



There are not, perhaps, in the island more active or correct 

 labourers than the feirm servants here, and certainly none more 

 sober and respectable ; and this may, in a great measure, l 

 ascribed to the terms on which they serve. Those servants, 

 who lodge in the houses of their masters, are, generally speak- 

 ing, on tho same footing here as 'Ji other places; there is no- 



