UPLAND. 



diem. In this intention, this view of a comprclienfive fyf- 

 tcm of hufbandry, which has been had recourfe to with great 

 fuccefs by intelligent individuals, in a foil and climate 

 greatly refembling thofe of the uplands and pallures of the 

 Highlands ; ftieep, it is faid, are unquettionably to be 

 conildered as the ftaple ftock over the Highlands of Scot- 

 land ; but to rear (hcep as the fole produce of the foil is, it 

 is thought, an error of the word kind. It was naturally to 

 be expefted, that when (heep were introduced upon thefc 

 uplands, and found to be a fafe and profitable fort of ftock, 

 they would probably go too far, before the true balance 

 Ihould be found. But it is capable of being eftablifticd, it 

 is faid, on reafon and clear teftimony, that woods, cattle, 

 and cultivation, judicioudy managed, are friendly to (heep, 

 on fuch uplands, in the higheft degree ; while the folid in- 

 terefts, comforts, and benefits of lociety are greatly pro- 

 moted by a proper intermixture of them all in fuch cafes. 



The efFefts of Iheep-farming on thefe uplands are, it is 

 obferved, firft, a great rife in the rents, which is not, how- 

 ever, to be wholly imputed to ftieep, but many other caufes. 

 The true light in which the fuperiority of (lieep, in fuch 

 cafes, is to be confidered, is, it is faid, that by means of 

 them a farmer can pafture a large extent of inacccflible grafs 

 land, not fafe for black cattle ; that he can maintain a ftock, 

 with lefs danger of heavy loffes by famine, in winter and 

 fpring ; and tnat ftieep, as a ftock, are managed at lefs ex- 

 pence, and are more marketable than any other. It is con- 

 ceded indeed, that, by means of goats, the moll rugged 

 pafturage might be coiifumed ; but thefe animals, in point 

 of flefti, as well as coat, would be a wretched fubftitute for 

 (heep in fuch cafes, in any market whatever. It rauft be 

 allowed by all, that a ftock of ftieep enables the farmer to 

 occupy- a larger portion of the foil than he could do by a 

 ftock of black cattle ; that ftieep, too, are more adapted to 

 the greater part of an extenfive and rugged upland farm than 

 any fort of black cattle ; that a fuller ftock of them may be 

 fafely put on the grounds, without incurring fo much ride of 

 faniine ; and that no ftock is eafier managed, or more mar- 

 ketable. Thefe are important confiderations ; and they are 

 decifive in favour of ftieep, as the principal article, it is fup- 

 pofed, over the uplands of the Highlands, that a farm can 

 produce. 



Secondly, a valuable fupply of wool has been futnifticd the 

 country, from the upland pafturcs of the Highlands ; that 

 though moft of fuch wool is coarfe, and that wool has not 

 declined in price in confequence of this large acceflion to the 

 trade, it mull be remembered that coarfe wool was the ar- 

 ticle moft wanted by manufafturers ; and alfo, that many 

 large upland traAs of the Highlands are well adapted to 

 rear fine wool, when the farmers fiiall find it their inlereft to 

 follow that plan. And in regard to the increafed price of 

 wool. It may be alked, it is faid, what mull have been the 

 prices, or where the manufafturers muft have looked for it, 

 if there had not been any raifed on the uplands of the High- 

 lands of late years ? Probably, it is fuppofed, the diftiii- 

 guiftied fuccefs of that capital branch, the woollen trade, 

 may have depended in no fmall degree on the vaft fupplieg 

 of wool from that quarter. 



Thirdly, the reduftion of the numbers of black cattle muft 

 inevitably, it is believed, follow the inlroduftion of ftieep, 

 and alfo the redu£lion of the extent of cultivated grounds. 

 But it does not of neccflity, it is faid, follow, that black 

 cattle and culture fliould be altogether abandoned. There 

 is a good medium in thefe matters, it is fuppofed, which is 

 fafer than either extreme. To people not well acquainted 

 with the economy of a produftive fyftem, embracing ftieep 

 at the principal article, and a piopcr number of cattle, and 



extent of cultivation, it may appear to be the eafieft ex- 

 pedient to lay the whole of their farms into fticcp-waftes : 

 but more experienced farmers would, it is thouglit, fraile at 

 the pretence which want of (l<ill has fo often advanced for 

 going into this moft injudicious extreme ; well knowing that 

 every intelligent ftore-mafter calculates on rendering his 

 ftieep much better, and infuring their fafety in a greater de- 

 gree, by means of judicious cultivation. It is therefore to 

 be obferved, that the baniftinient of black cattle ajid of cul- 

 ture out of the upland ftieep-farms in the Highlands nre 

 efiedls which do not neceffarily follow the iutroduclion of 

 ftieep, but have arifen from an inconfiderate extreme, the 

 refult of error and want of experience in the cftabliflied 

 modes of ftieep management, cfpecially on fuch uplands. 



Fourthly, depopulation is the worft effeft, it is faid, which 

 has followed the introduftion of ftieep huftsandry <ni the up- 

 lands and paftures in the Highlands. It is, however, un- 

 deniably the faft, that fuch an efteifl has been produced, 

 and that to a great extent. But it cannot be fo readily ad- 

 mitted, it is thought, that this effedl was neceffarily coh- 

 nefted with the fheep huftiandry ; for it arofc more properly 

 from the total negleft of culture, and of black cattle, than 

 from the change of ftocks. It is aflced, if we find that the 

 ftieep ftocks of England, or of the fouth of Scotland, necef- 

 farily occafion depopulation ? If a due proportion were 

 maintained on fuch lands of the Highlands, between ftieep 

 and other important articles, fuch as cattle, corn, green 

 crops, and inclofures and plantations of trees, to fay no- 

 thing of the fiftieries, the roads, and other public matters, 

 employment would, it is fuppofed, be furniftied for the in- 

 habitants, at leaft as ample and productive as they ever pof- 

 fefled, when black cattle were their ftock, and a proportion 

 of goats, inftead of ftieep. But the truth is, it is faid, that 

 unfortunate circumftances of a complicated nature com- 

 bined in depopulating the Highlands, when ftieep were in- 

 troduced, as are fully fliewn in the EiTay, to which we muft 

 refer the reader. 



Still, however, the fheep fyftem is thought to be right 

 upon thefe uplands ; and though it may have gone to an ex- 

 treme, it was what was to be dreaded and expedled. Ta 

 that extreme, and not to the nature of the ftock introduced, 

 ought, it is fuppofed, to be imputed moft of the evils com- 

 plained of; while the beneficial effefts of ftieep hufbandry 

 on fuch uplands appear to be neceffarily connefted with it, 

 and therefore to give it a fteady and well-founded fuperi- 

 ority. The evils of it may, it is thought, be obviated or 

 counterafted by judicious management ; and that ftieep, as 

 the principal article of produce, are entitled to an evident 

 preference over the whole of the uplands and paftures of the 

 Highlands j but that, at the fame time, it is unwife and im- 

 politic in every view to make them the fole produce on the 

 lands. "^ 



In thefe upland trails nature feems, it is faid, to have laid 

 out extenfive ftieep-walks on alnioft every farm ; and that as 

 it is found tl(at ftieep are the fafcft ftock, the moft eafily and 

 cheaply managed, having accefs to the largcft part of tlic 

 paftures, and always marketable and produ£live to the 

 farmer, it is undeniable, the writer fuppofes, that they 

 ftiould be reared as the main article of farm produce 

 throughout the upland tradls of the Highlands. But it can 

 never be admitted, it is thought, by any man of fenfe, that 

 this immenfe diftrift ftiould be turned wholly into a ftieep- 

 wafte. Other articles of produce fuccecd as well as fliccp, 

 and ftiould be reared to a proper extent : fomc arc effential 

 to the comforts, afld even fubfiftencc of the inhabitants ; 

 while they return as ample profits as ftieep, and are of ex- 

 iieedingly great value to the ftieep-ftocks ; not to rocntioii 

 3 Q 2 theii 



