62 



Agriculture of Scotland. 



unavailin^y ; and the progress which had been made in the art of 

 agriculture in the southern parts of the kingdom since the 

 establishment of order there, consequent upon the peaceful 

 settlement of the Hanoverian succession, failed to extend itself 

 to the still divided and harassed country of Scotland. But 

 besides that the restoration of confidence, by the secure esta- 

 blishment of a settled government, led men to turn their atten- 

 tion to sources of wealth less immediate in their operati(m than 

 those to which the prudent had hitherto resorted, the cultivation of 

 the soil, subsequently to 1765, could not fail to attract greater atten- 

 tion from the great increase in the price of agricultural produce* 

 which took place soon after the accession of George the Third. 

 Accordingly it appears, — notwithstanding soon after this the 

 balance of imports in the article of corn began for the first time 

 very regularly to exceed our exports,! — that the cultivation of the 

 soil throughout the empire, in extent, if not in improvement, nearly 

 maintained its ground with the great increase of population con- 

 sequent upon the return of personal security, and a state of national 

 prosperity unexampled in the previous history of the country. 

 Agriculture in Scotland, as having been at this time much farther 

 behind, partook even to a greater degree of this improvement ; and 

 it is between 17G5 and 1775 that we trace the opening of abetter 

 system, which had begun to be introduced at the commencement of 

 this epoch. Still, however, husbandry, as generally practised in 

 Scotland, continued in a comparatively rude state ; and, notwith- 

 standing the very laudable exertions of many patriotic landed pro- 

 prietors in various parts of the country, to introduce, by example, a 

 better order of things, no great progress appears to have been 

 made, — excepting in some favoured districts, — in exciting the te- 

 nantry to depart from the long-trodden barren path pur- 

 sued by them. It would appear, at this period, a great 

 proportion of the arable land in Scotland was still very par- 

 tially enclosed, so that even contiguous farms under tillage were 

 not separated by any distinct fence. The ancient practice almost 

 universally prevailed, — excepting in the neighbourhood of towns, 

 and in those favoured districts alluded to, — of occupying farms as 

 Tn- field'' and Out-field, " as it was called. By this mode of 



* Average price of wheat, from 1755 to 1764 . . . 37s. 6d. 



1765 to 1774 . . . 51*. Od. 

 — Tooke's History of Prices, vol. i. p. 31. 



Qrs. 



t From 1742 to 1751— Balance of e^^joor/* of wheat 4,700,509 



All kinds of ^rain . . 8,869,190 



From 1766 to 1 755— Balance of imports of wheat 1,303,149 



All kinds of f^rain . . 3,782,734 



—Tooke, vol. 1. p. 72. 



