AGRICULTURE IN SCOTLAND — 179I-1796. 73 



other witnesses at the expense of the Society ;' — a curious 

 illustration of the condition of the country at the time. 



The Account of the Agriculture in West Lothian, 

 dated 1794, is written b\- 3ilr James Trotter, farmer, 

 Newton, Linlithgow. ]\Ir Trotter states that the plough 

 most in use in the lower part of the county was Small's 

 chain plough, drawn by two horses. In the uplands the 

 old Scotch plough was still in use. Thrashing mills were 

 coming into use on large farms. Clover and rye-grass 

 were sown in all parts of the county. Turnips were raised 

 where the land was dr>', and the culture well understood. 

 Potatoes were grown in considerable quantities over all the 

 county. ' The breed of black cattle Avas very little attended 

 to, unless by some few of the gentry, who for experiment 

 or pleasure have tried some of the English kinds.' Few 

 sheep were bred, except in gentlemen's policies. The 

 great roads passing through the county were kept in 

 excellent repair from the tolls. Cross roads, though greatly 

 improved, were not in a satisfactory condition. These 

 roads were kept in repair from money collected in the 

 different parishes according to the number of plough-gates, 

 70 acres of arable land being reckoned to the plough-gate, 

 which paid at rates ranging from 12s. to i6s. the plough- 

 gate. 



i\Ir Alex. [Martin, farmer at Salton, Mid Lothian, in his 

 report on Renfrewshire, of date 1794, divides the county 

 into three divisions. Of the district around the burgh of 

 Renfrew, he says the common rotation consisted of potatoes, 

 alternated by wheat and oats ; ' barley, grass seeds, and 

 turnips being entirely omitted.' On the estate of Broom- 

 field, the property of Lord Douglas, which is said to be ' in 

 good condition,' there was a rotation of seven courses, in 

 which turnips found no place. On Craigends, managed by 

 Mr Baillie, turnips had been introduced, and the good 

 management of the lands had advanced them three rents in 

 the space of seventeen years. Around Paisley, the same 

 system of farming prevailed. The Scotch plough, with 



