310 



Farming of East Lothian. 



Having already exceeded the space suitable to a Report, I 

 can only very briefly allude to the future requirements of the 

 agriculture of East Lothian. These are nearly the same in Scot- 

 land as in England. The legislature can do much, but contracting 

 parties can do more, to place agriculture in that position to which 

 it may be raised. The legislature may aid the agriculture of the 

 county by conferring greater freedom of action on owners of 

 Entailed Estates, by repealing the Law of Hypothec (Law of Dis- 

 tress), and by abrogating those statutes which tend to foster a 

 system of preserving wild animals in the midst of high cultiva- 

 tion. If, however, owners and occupiers of land understood better 

 their mutual interests, which are so intimately associated with 

 the application of capital to the soil, as the indispensable element 

 of profitable occupancy on the part of the tenant, and an improved 

 estate on that of the owner, arrangements on a mutually equitable 

 basis would be made, which would greatly modify the operation 

 even of adverse legislative enactments. A definite duration of 

 tenure, at present universally enjoyed in Scotland, but requiring 

 a more lengthened term ; full security to the capital of the tenant, 

 if not by law at least by contract ; and a more general recognition 

 of the principle that all unnecessary control over the management 

 of the tenant is injurious to both parties, — these are points the 

 importance of which to the agriculture of Great Britain it is 

 impossible to over-estimate. The special wants of East Lothian 

 are the providing of a better class of cottages for the farm labour- 

 ers, better and increased accommodation for stock, the more 

 general squaring of farms, with some minor details to which it is 

 unnecessary to allude. As to practice, the keeping of the land 

 flat, if in ridges at all ; the more general use of two-horse grubbers 

 in the cultivation of the soil, on the green crop break, especially 

 in autumn and spring ; the extended and more liberal application 

 of guano, nitrate of soda, &c., to all the root crops, and in most 

 instances on the grass and corn crops ; the diminishing of the 

 quantity of rye-grass and increasing that of the clovers ; the con- 

 fining of sheep to grazing on the alternate grasses, and in some 

 instances the folding of these on pasture ; the soiling of working 

 horses and cattle, in place of depasturing ; with more attention 

 to their general health, that of horses especially — these are the 

 principal points, by attention to which the practice of the county 

 might be still farther improved, and the produce very materially 

 increased. 



Very faithfully yours, 



Ch. Stevenson. 



. Edinhurgh, Nov. 15, 1853. 



