246 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY OF chap. XII. 



This property of lime deserves the particular 

 attention of those who have easy access to it, 

 and at the same time have poor, cold, pasture- 

 ground, carrying nothing but coarse grass, and 

 that in scanty proportion. A good liming would 

 greatly encrease the quantity, and improve the 

 quality of the herbage of such lands, if toler- 

 ably dry, and make it support double the num- 

 ber of cattle, that, in its present state, are fed, 

 or rather half starved upon it. 



3^, Marie is also a manure used in this coun- 

 ty. Its quality and effects are similar to those 

 of lime ; but a much larger quantity is necessa- 

 ry. Clay and shell marie are the kinds found 

 here. Little stone marie is to be seen. 



4/, Peat and Coal Ashes. From the great 

 number of towns and villages in Fife, as well 

 as from its great population in general, it may 

 be expected that a very considerable quantity 

 of this kind of manure will be produced. But 

 it is seldom used in an unmixed state. Those 

 who have cows and horses, farmers as well as 

 others, frequently throw their ashes on the 

 dung-hill. Such as have no animal dung, ge- 

 nerally mix their ashes with street- soil, scour- 

 ings of yarn, and any other materials they can 

 find, which they think can either encrease the 

 quantity, or improve the quality of this kind of 

 manure. It is sometimes used by the villagers 

 and cottagers, upon ground which they take for 

 raising potatoes ; and it is sometimes purchased 

 by the farmers in the neighbourhood, and used 

 indiscriminately for wheat, barley, turnip, and 

 potatoes. 



