AGRICULTURE IN SCOTLAND — 179I-1796. 53 



in 1789. In the parish of Mertoun, the Rev. James 

 Duncan, in his report for 1795, says * The cattle are 

 mostly of the Balmershire breed.' An explanation of 

 the phrase just used is furnished by a passage in Mr 

 Wight's report, where he speaks of Mr Scott of Harden 

 introducing sheep ' from Bamershire, in Northumberland.' 

 The ' Balmershire ' breed of cattle may therefore be held as 

 another name for the Holderness. Many of the cattle were 

 reared for the yoke. At four they were put in the plough, 

 where they were worked for a year or two, and thereafter 

 were put up to fatten. The best of those not put to work 

 were sold at four and a half years for £8 or £g. Sheep had 

 had much attention bestowed on them, and with good 

 results. In the low country the tender, slow-feeding 

 animal, with wool over most of the face, and thence called 

 ' muggs,' had almost wholly disappeared before the im- 

 proved Bakewell or new Leicester breed, introduced 

 through the agency of Mr Culley. — In the Lammermuir 

 district, the agricultural condition was wholly different 

 from the Merse. The high country was almost entirely 

 under sheep, a small blackfaced breed. The ' black cattle ' 

 of the Lammermuirs were inferior, of small size, and sold 

 at from £4 to £6 each. 



In Roxburgh, the first to sow turnips in drills was 

 Dr John Rutherford, 'who made agricultural improvements 

 his favourite study.' The first trial the doctor made in 

 turnip culture was about 1747, and is described at length 

 in the Report on the Agriculture of the County, by the 

 Rev. David Ure of Glasgow. Mr Ure's account is so 

 graphic that we give it entire : 



Having received the plan from Mr Robert Swinton, distiller in Berwick, 

 Mr Rutherford began his experiments at Melrose about the year I747- The 

 first trial he made was on the Stankfoot Park, a small field of about two acres 

 of good awna [alluvial] land. The ground was prepared by several plough- 

 ings, and with dung the same as for a crop of bere. After the field was 

 levelled and harrowed very finely, the drills were fonned by a common Scotch 

 plough, having the coulter taken off; the drills were made by the sock. 

 The plough was drawn by one horse, a man leading it by the head, whilst 

 another held the plough. The drills were made about two feet from each 

 Other. John Martin, the doctor's servant, but now kirk-officer of IMelrose, 



