AGRICULTURE IN SCOTLAND — 1 79 1 -1 796. 7 1 



in the county had not devoted any special attention to 

 their improvement, preferring to buy horses rather than to 

 breed them. As regards cattle, Sir David Kinloch of 

 Gilmorton was almost the only person in the county for 

 many years who had attended to this branch of industry, 

 and who bred annually a few heavy cattle of the Dutch or 

 Holderness breed. The use of that breed had, in a great 

 measure, annihilated the old breed of milch cows in the 

 county, which were small. The sheep in the low country 

 were mostly Cheviots ; in the upper districts they were 

 black-faced. Thirlage had been nearly abolished. The 

 roads in the county were generally good, and Mr Hepburn 

 claims that the first Turnpike Act in Scotland was ob- 

 tained in 1750 by the gentlemen of East Lothian, being 

 one for repairing the great post road from Dunglas Bridge 

 to Ravenshaugh Bridge. 



The View of Agriculture in MiD LOTHIAN, by Mr 

 George Robertson, farmer, Granton, near Edinburgh, which 

 is dated 1793, affords pretty copious information with 

 regard to the condition of the county. Mr Robertson 

 reports the roads of the county as in good condition, 

 observinsT that ' few counties now are better accommodated 

 in roads than this,' as adequate funds for their support had 

 been provided. The ploughs commonly in use were an 

 improvement on the old Scotch plough, reduced in dimen- 

 sions. Thrashing mills were general. The land around 

 Edinburgh was mostly in the hands of gardeners and 

 nurserymen, who paid high rents. Rich agricultural land 

 averaged 52s. 6d. an acre ; good land, 27s. 6d. ; moorland, 

 5s. to IS. 6d. Regarding the live stock, Mr Robertson 

 reports that the breed of black cattle had hitherto been 

 little attended to ; and as the price continued moderate, 

 there was little probability, he thought, that the farmers 

 would soon be induced, in that high-rented county, to enter 

 into competition with breeders in places where equally 

 good pasture was to be had at half the rent. Milk cows, 

 however, were much cultivated ; but he says, ' there is no 

 breed peculiar to the county, the cows consisting of almost 



