chap. xr. THE COUNTY OF FIFE. 233 



sion of this commonty would be to all con- 

 cerned. 



This gentleman has lately enclosed about 170 

 acres of ground contiguous to, and of very much 

 the same quality of soil, with the Lomond-hills. 

 This ground, in its former open state, yielded a 

 rent of little more than ijd. the acre. Last year 

 he let it as a grass park for 50 guineas ; and 

 this year, although one of the moft unfavoura- 

 ble seasons experienced for a long time past, it 

 has maintained above 70 head of cattle. 



From the above experiment, this gentleman 

 makes the following calculation : The Lomond- 

 hills are of a quality no way inferior to the 

 park above mentioned, and about 20 times its 

 extent. Therefore he reasonably concludes, 

 that in a divided and enclosed state, they would 

 maintain above 1400 head of cattle. If grazed 

 with sheep, the profits would probably be still 

 greater: A very different return, indeed, from 

 that which the proprietors now draw from it, 

 in its present neglected state. He concludes 

 with observing, that the hill abounding with 

 lime-stone and free-stone quarries, the expence 

 of enclosing would not be heavy. 



If 'by wastes, we are to understand ground 

 capable of improvement, either as arable land, 

 or for pasture, or for planting, but which is suf- 

 fered to remain in a state of nature ; there are 

 large tracts of this kind, particularly in the up- 

 land parts of the county^ both in the middle and 

 on the north. Though the extent cannot be 

 ascertained with any degree of exactness, I 

 should suppose it cannot be less than 50 or 60 

 thousand acres. 



