sect. I. THE COUNTY OF FIFE. 2 19 



CHAPTER VIII. 



Grasses. 

 SECTION I. 



PASTURE AND MEADOWS. 



JLT has been already stated, that about one-fifth 

 of the county may be considered as inaccessible 

 to the plough, A considerable portion of this, 

 however, yields, though not an abundant, a 

 nourishing and wholesome pasture for sheep 

 and young cattle. Of that part which is consi- 

 dered as arable, a large proportion has never, at 

 least within memory, been touched by the 

 plough. The difficulty and expence of drain- 

 ing, and clearing it of stones, which in many 

 places are to be found very large, and in great 

 quantities, and also the short duration of leases, 

 have discouraged farmers from the cultivation 

 of it, and induced them to apply their labour 

 to such parts of their farms as yielded the fair- 

 est prospect of success and indemnification. 



Of the land capable of tillage, without the 

 difficult and expensive preparations just now 

 mentioned, there is a large portion which, from 

 soil, climate, and other circumstances, is judg- 

 ed to be more properly adapted to pasture ; and 



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