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XX. — Oa the Farming of East Lotlnan. By Charles 

 Stevenson. 



To the President. 



Dear Sir, — In offering this Report, your request to compile 

 one on the farming of the Lothians must be my apology. Had 

 the state of your health, when you were in Scotland in September 

 last, permitted you to have continued the inspection of the 

 farming in the Lothians, you would unquestionably have com- 

 piled, as the result of your own observation and intercourse with, 

 the farmers, a Report much more interesting to English readers 

 than the one now presented, by seizing upon those points, 

 whether of contrast or resemblance, which characterise the farm.- 

 ing of the Lothians as compared with that of districts in England 

 somewhat similar as regards soil and climate, and thus presenting 

 in a more prominent light what might be partially or wholly 

 adopted by the English farmer. Minuteness of detail, however, 

 lies more within the rano^e of one who is familiar with the farmino;: 

 of a district ; and as the success of any mode of cultivation depends 

 in no small degree upon such details, a more minute account of 

 the farming of East Lothian will enable those desirous of adopt- 

 ing any part of the systems of cultivation there practised to d^ 

 so without much difficulty. 



The three Lothians, East, Mid, and West, taken together, do 

 not contain a greater superficial area than a moderately-sized 

 English county. They, however, present varied geological and 

 climatic features which have so decidedly influenced the charac- 

 ter of the systems of cultivation adopted as to require that the 

 farming of each county be considered separately. For the 

 present, therefore, we will confine the Report to the farming of 

 East Lothian. 



This county being one of those selected for the statistical 

 experiment instituted by government, facilities are thereby 

 afforded for entering more closely into details. The first of these 

 returns was presented to Parliament last session. It embraces 

 the area of arable and pasture lands, of wood and waste. The 

 extent under each kind of crop, and the numbers of the domesti- 

 cated animals within the county at the date of the return (20thL 

 May, 1853), are also given. The number of threshing-machines 

 with the nature of the motive power is appended. The second 

 Report, which is now (December 3rd) given to the public, 

 contains the estimated acreable produce of the different districts. 

 (For both see Appendix.) We will make use of the first of these 

 returns so far as available in illusi rating the systems of cultiva- 

 tion practised. From the additional information furnished in this 



VOL. XIV. u 



