Agriculture of Scotland. 



83 



agriculture ; which^ with the district competitions of the High- 

 land Society, tended to foster and encourage that spirit of enter- 

 prise which was so fast gaining ground. These, again, gave rise 

 to numerous local Agricultural Societies, which met with great 

 and laudable encouragement from resident landed proprietors, 

 and excited great interest among the tenantry. The object of 

 these local societies was principally directed to the improvement 

 of the various breeds of live-stock deemed most suitable to the 

 respective districts in which the competitions were held, and 

 proved of incalculable benefit in quickly disseminating improved 

 varieties throughout the country. 



The greater interest which came to be bestowed on agriculture 

 generally also gave rise at this time to numerous other useful 

 publications on this important subject; and among these deserves 

 particular notice, as having been highly instrumental in this work 

 of rapidly-extending improvement, ' The Farmer's Magazine,' 

 commenced at Edinburgh in 1800. Although, no doubt, we 

 fear we must admit that no small prejudice exists among 

 the generality of farmers with respect to the utility of information 

 thus acquired, yet it is impossible to deny the powerful influence 

 of the press in effecting a revolution even in this unobtrusive art, 

 in spite of such feelings. It is true, some discrimination is re- 

 quired to avoid the evil, and choose the good, from many such 

 publications : yet the intelligent man, having made his selection, 

 and cautiously, if need be, entered upon his experiments, success 

 no sooner attends his efforts than the result — as all operations in 

 husbandry (from their nature) are openly displayed — becomes 

 known to his observing neighbours, and the improved practice 

 passes into general use. 



A combination of so many favourable circumstances soon be- 

 came evident in the rapidly improved face of the country. The 

 liberal returns from agriculture gave rise to an increased applica- 

 tion of capital to the soil, to an extent indeed, in many instances, 

 which — as matters turned out — in the end frustrated the accomplish- 

 ment of individual reward. A spirit of intelligence prevailed more 

 generally among those engaged in husbandry, and more judicious and 

 correct principles came to be applied in the chief operations of the 

 farm. A further improvement took place in the system of rotations : 

 clovers were now extensively cultivated ; a great breadth of land which 

 had been managed by an imperfect fallow was applied further to 

 turnips ; and it came to be the universal rule that clover, or some 

 description of fallow- crop, was interposed between every two 

 culmiferous crops. But the order in which cropping was pur- 

 sued was beginning to be regulated, not so much by any fixed 

 rule of rotation as by the application of correct general princi- 

 ples, varied often according to results : still the most common 



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