SCOTLAND. 



its peculiar lituation on the fouthern bank of the Forth adds 

 much to the beauty of the fcenery, and to the advantages 

 which the country pofletTes within itfelf. 



The lecond diftrift includes the counties of Peebles, or 

 Twcedale, Selkirk, Dumfries, Kirkcudbright, and Wigton. 

 Here are the highell mountains fouth of the Forth ; and from 

 the great proportion of hills, and the fmall extent of arable 

 land, more of the furface is appropriated to the feeding of live 

 ftock than to the growth of corn. Yet the vales, parti- 

 cularly in Dumfriesihire, are of confiderable extent and 

 fertility, and exhibit much diverfity of appearance. The 

 green hills of Tweedale, and the intervening valhes, are pro- 

 lific of corn. Only a fmall proportion of the territory, how- 

 ever, is arable, and late harvelts occafionally blalt the pro- 

 fpefts of the farmer. In the county of Selkirk, formerly 

 called the Foreft, a Hill lefs proportion of the land is culti- 

 vated ; but new plantations begin to rife, and will in time 

 fupply the place of thofe natural woods, with which, feveral 

 centuries ago, this county abounded. The hills, both in this 

 county and in that of Peebles, are covered by numerous 

 flocks of (heep, partly of the Tweedale, but chiefly by the 

 Cheviot race. Great numbers of cattle alio are found in 

 thefe diftrifts. In Galloway, its excellent breed of cattle, 

 and hardy race of fheep, are fupported much better than for- 

 merly ; and not only oats and barley, but wheat of good 

 quality are raifed in every part of the arable trafts. The 

 valley of the fouthern Dee, in Kirkcudbright, has likewife 

 been much improved ; and though on the banks of that 

 river there are neither coal-pits nor lime-quarries, yet im- 

 ported coal forms the chief article of fuel, and imported 

 lime the principal manure. 



The third diltrift is wathed by the Atlantic ocean, and by 

 means of a navigable canal communicates with the German 

 fea. It includi-'s the counties of Ayr, Renfrew, Lanark, 

 and Dumbarton. Notwithltanding the humidity of the 

 climate, from its expofure to the fea, and the extent and 

 elevation of its hills, agriculture is much attended to, and 

 in many parts is carried on with great fuccefs, as the exertions 

 of the farmers are llimulated by commerce and manufactures. 

 Still, however, this diltrift is more adapted to the rearing or 

 fattening of live-Hock, than to the raifing of corn ; and the 

 bed breeds of horfes and of dairy cows are to be found in it. 

 From the concurring caufes of commerce, manufaftures, and 

 minerals, agriculture has flourifhed in an ungcnial climate ; 

 and nearly one-half, or, more accurately, feven-fitleenths 

 of the whole furface are under cultivation. With only one- 

 thirteenth part of the extent, nearly onc-fourt!i part of the 

 population of Scotland is included in this divilion. 



In the fourth diftritl are included the counties of Fife, 

 Kinrofs, Clackmannan, Stirling, Perth, and Forfar or 

 Angus. This diftrlA exhibits every variety of foil and 

 furface, from the level and rich carfes of Stirling, Falkirk, 

 and Gowrie, and the great valleys of Strathmore, Athol, 

 and Kethnefs, to the lofty Grampians, which (helter a con- 

 fiderable proportion of the divifion from the northern blalls. 

 In the rich carfes, and along the lirths and fca-coall, it 

 produces the bell wheat, beans, barley, and broad clover. 

 And in fome of the inland diltriifls are raifed excellent 

 crops of turnips, bear, and oats. Its live-Hock in general 

 is of an excellent defcription. The towns of Dundee, 

 Perth, Alloa, Dumferniline, Stirling, St. Andrews, Clack- 

 mannan, Kinrofs, Forfar, Monlrofe, Brechin, and a num- 

 ber of inferior villages, contain two-tifths of its whole popu- 

 lation. In this extenfive dillridt, Fitefliire is dilHngiiilhcd 

 by its great variety of produftions, and by its lifiicries, its 

 flax and Imen maiiiifaclures, its coal-mines, lime-works, and 

 iron-done, b\' its improved agriculture, and its breeds of 

 Vol.. XXXII. 



cattle and horles. The fmall county of Kinrofs, orna. 

 mented by its lake, and abounding in coal and liine-ftone, 

 is conlldcrably elevated above the level of the fea. Formerly 

 it was not attraftivc t«^ a ilrarger, but its afpedl is now 

 much improved. Claclcmannan, of ItiU more limited ex- 

 tent, but of greater fertility, is didinguilhed by a correA 

 cultivation of the ioil, and by the abundance of lime and 

 coal. The half of its population refides in towns of very 

 moderate extent. The county of Stirling includes every 

 variety of foil, from the rich carfes on the louth bank of 

 tlie Forth, to the barren rocks of Ben Lomond. In the 

 parifhes of Enrick and Strathblane, there are rich fields, 

 cultivated by intelligent and enterprifing farmers ; and the 

 fcenery is much diverfified in all parts of the country. The 

 very extenfive county of Perth is equally remarkable for 

 the molt fertile, and the moll barren foils, and exhibits the 

 two extremes of correct and defective agriculture. In the 

 carfe of Gowrie, and the valley of Strathearn, there are 

 many opulent and enterprifing farmers, who cultivate fuc- 

 cefsfuUy the moll fertile foil in the kingdom. In feveral 

 of the fmaller vales an improved cultivation is alfo general. 

 But in the more remote highland glens, even where the land 

 is naturally good, improvements in agriculture are little 

 known and lefs praftifed. In Forfardiire, along the fea- 

 coalt, and in the rich valley of Stratiimore, the farmers 

 have been long dilHi;gui{hed tor their exertions ; and in the 

 inland parts of the county, (hell-marle, obtained in abun- 

 dance from the frefh-water lakes, has contributed very 

 much to the improvement of the foil. 



The fifth diftridt includes the counties of Kincardine, 

 Aberdeen, Banff, Moray, and Nairn, and contains a greater 

 extent of fea-coall than any of the preceding divifions. Yet 

 on the fouth-well, where it extends to the middle of the 

 illand, it is extremely mountiiinous ; the Grampians Itretch- 

 ing from its boundary with Perthfliire nearly to the fea at 

 Aberdeen. By far the greatefl part of the arable land is 

 either in the maritime or midland parts, there being very 

 little near the mountains. It is remarkable, that the mari- 

 time parts of Moray enjoy perhaps the belt climate in Scot- 

 land, and that for many centuries wheat has been cultivated 

 there to great advantage. Wheat is alio raifed fuccelsfully 

 in the maritime parts of Kincardine and Banflihire, and its 

 cultivation is fpreading rapidly in Aberdeen (hire. The 

 turnip hufbandry and artificial grailes are to be met with 

 over the principal part of this divifion in very great per- 

 fettion. But tlie molt Itriking feature in its cultivation is> 

 the great expence at which barren land is improved, bv 

 trenching with the fpade and mattock, which has been 

 known to exceed a hundred pounds for a lingle acre. 

 This dillrict in general raifes food for the fupport of its 

 inhabitants, and in good feafons exports a confiderable 

 quantity of grain ; but it is chiefly dillinguiflied for the 

 rearing of excellent cattle, of which it fends yearly great 

 numbers to England. Owing to the large proportion 

 covered by mountains, only tour eleventh ])art3 of this dillridt 

 are as yet under cultivation. It is, however, much adorned 

 by plantations, particularly near the houfes of its proprietors, 

 and its natural woods in Braemar are extenfive and valuable. 

 Kincardinelhire, except that part of it which lies in Mar, 

 is Iheltered on the north by the Grampian mountains. 

 This fmall county was early induced to attend to the cul- 

 tivation of its foil, by the examples of the late Robert 

 Barclay, efq. of Ury, and a few others of its landed pro- 

 prietors. Aberdeen fliire, which fifty years ago brought 

 moll of its work oxen from File and the Lotliiaiis, has now 

 taken the lead in the rearing of black cattle, and cultivates 

 for that piirpofe fown grals and turnips in great perfcdlion. 



E Wheat 



