AGRICULTURE IN SCOTLAND — 179I-1796. 69 



ment.' Most of the dwelling-houses were of one storey, 

 low in roof, badly lighted, and covered with thatch. The 

 offices were still more pitiful, meanly and rudely constructed, 

 and awkwardly placed ; some stables and cow-houses so 

 low as scarcely to admit horses and cattle of an ordinary 

 size. Improvement, however, had begun, and there were a 

 few houses of two, and several of one storey, substantial!}' 

 built with good stones and lime, and with ' sizable windows 

 and doors.' 



In Peebles, or Tweeddale, where, as in Selkirk, the 

 chief stock of the county is sheep, the native black-faced 

 breed almost exclusively prevailed. Crossing with Bake- 

 well rams had been tried, but ' proved preposterous,' the 

 cross being ' a dull, heavy animal, unable to go to the high 

 lands in quest of food.' The native breed in Tweeddale 

 were 'short-legged, short and compact-bodied sheep, horned, 

 with black face and legs ; thereby called the short or black- 

 faced sheep, in contradistinction to the English sheep, 

 which, from the length of their body and legs and white 

 face, are called the long or white-faced sheep.' The reporter 

 for Tweedsmuir parish states that Mr Tweedie of Oliver 

 had * found the Cheviot breed as hardy as the native.' 

 There were few ' black cattle ' or horses in the county. Mr 

 Wight mentions that Mr Ker, Provost of Peebles, had on his 

 farm of Bonington 'cattle of Shorthorned kind from Holder- 

 ness, mixed with those of the county.' As to crops, the 

 farmers in the parish of Drummelzier, we are told by the 

 parish minister, besides barley, pease, and oats, ' sow turnips 

 and plant a considerable quantity of potatoes, of which the 

 people are fond, and think a statue should be erected to the 

 memory of Sir Walter Raleigh, who first brought them to 

 Britain.' The old Scotch plough was chiefly used through- 

 out the county. Mr Wight notices an experiment, on 14th 

 February 1776, by Mr Andrew Meikle of Knowmill, with a 

 thrashing machine of his invention, the success of which is 

 attested by, amongst others, George Rennie, tenant of Fan- 

 tasie. Mr Thomas Johnston, in his report on the county 

 in 1794, says that ' thirlage has long been, and is still, much 



