AGRICULTURAL SURVEY OF cbap. 7. 



SECT. 77. CHARACTER Of THE FARMERS, 



Several" of the farmers in this county, and 

 these not the least respectable, came originally 

 from other, and more highly improved parts of 

 the kingdom ; and heing generally men of con- 

 siderable stock, and possessed of superior pro- 

 fessional knowledge, sat down, with great ad- 

 vantage,, on the less cultivated, and consequent- 

 ly low rented lands in Fife ; and, by their abili- 

 ties and enterprise, have contributed not a little 

 to forward the improvement of this county. 



There are also many of the farmers, who 

 were originally in a lower class, or in a different 

 Enie of life ; but having, by industry and fruga- 

 lity, acquired a little money, and having con- 

 tracted a taste for husbandry, commenced farm- 

 ing en a small scale. By persevering in the 

 same plan of rigid oeconomy and hard labour, 

 they gradually improved their stock, and at last 

 launched out more extensively into the business. 

 And now, in point of circumstances, as well as 

 f professional skill, hold a respectable place 

 among the farmers. 



But the great body of the Fife farmers are the 

 fecendents of the old stock of cultivators ; se- 

 veral of whom, just now, hold the farms that 

 have been in the possession of their ancestors 

 for some generations back. Formerly, the con- 

 nection between master and tenant was very 

 strong. They were, for the most part, warmly 

 attached to each other ; and the interest which 

 tile Landlord took in the prosperity of his tenants 



