"J^ HIGHLAND AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Hugh Reoch, tenant of Hilton of Alloa, who had formerly 

 been in East Lothian, stimulated his brother farmers to 

 the establishment of ploughing matches, the first of which 

 was held in 1784. The old Statistical Account of the 

 parish of Alloa states that, in the year 1791, forty ploughs 

 appeared at the ploughing match. The chain plough of 

 Small's construction was the only one used, and it was 

 computed that iJ^i6oo did not place the horses and ploughs 

 on the field. The old Statistical Account for the parish of 

 Clackmannan says that the first prize at the first of these 

 ploughing matches was won by Alexander Virtue, at that 

 time a servant to a farmer in the parish of Clackmannan. 

 The parish minister of Clackmannan, the Rev. Mr Moodie, 

 says that, 'in summer 1793, Virtue was sent for to his 

 Majesty's farm at Windsor, where it was expected he was 

 to continue. He carried a plough with him from Scotland, 

 and began his work in presence of his Majesty, and a 

 number of noblemen and gentlemen. It was acknow- 

 ledged that land so well ploughed had never been seen in 

 that country. Next morning, however, instead of going to 

 his work as he was desired to do on the preceding 

 evening, he was told " not to go near the King's farm on 

 any account whatever, nor to have the smallest intercourse 

 with any of his Majesty's farm servants." After receiving 

 a reward for his trouble, he left his plough, by special 

 desire, and returned to Scotland. It is,' adds Mr Moodie, 

 ' difficult to conceive how, in this instance, the jealousy 

 of the English ploughmen prevented the salutary effects 

 intended by this instructor.' Ploughmen's wages in 1790 

 in Clackmannanshire were £6 los. per annum, together 

 with 6^ bolls of meal, and 4d. per week in name of 

 kitchen money. The roads, with one exception, are pro- 

 nounced to have been ' uncommonly bad.* 



Mr R. Belsches of Greenyards contributed the General 

 View of the Agriculture of the County of Stirling, the 

 date of which is 1796. Mr Belsches reports the roads in the 

 county as on the whole good. The rent of the Carse land 

 was as high as £1. Farm buildings were good, and 



