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proper professional person, and a scheme of improve- 

 ment and reclaiming of the waste lands on the estate, 

 &c. laid down. I beg leave here to give my decided 

 disapprobation against a practice that prevails in Scot- 

 land, although not known in England or Ireland, 

 that is, of employing schoolmasters to measure lands, 

 it is by no means out of any disrespect to these ill- 

 requited body of men, who are the means of riveting 

 the principles on the human heart, that are after- 

 wards to govern both church and state, and who de- 

 serve better of their country ; 1 know well many of 

 these gentlemen can well and accurately measure 

 lands, and make a good plan or map, but are no 

 more judges of soils, or improving waste lands by 

 draining, planting, or reclaiming in any respect, than 

 a cow does about a new-coined shilling, and, of course, 

 are very unfit judges of such necessary improvements, 

 w^hereas a professional landsurveyor is most generally 

 less or more a judge of soils, and what mayor may not 

 be improvable ; when lands are measured, and a map 

 given, the number of acres in each field, as also of 

 arable and unarable lands are distinctly marked on 

 the plan ; but I have never yet seen a plan or map of 

 an estate, (nor is it indeed ever done) where there is 

 a description of the different fields or waste lands 

 given as to their state and cultivation. Now, what 

 would be of the greatest utility and advantage to pro- 

 prietors, when the surveyor is on and going over the 

 ground, if he were to accompany his plan or map with 

 a report and description of every field, but particularly 

 the waste lands, and different woods and plantations, 

 with the kinds, stating distinctly and accurately, so 

 far as their judgment goes, what part of these wastes 

 or lands are improveable, and to what purpose they 

 can be most profitably converted, and by what 



