86 



Agriculture of Scotland. 



it appear tliat effortlvo implements were in operation, I)ut tliesc 

 were commonly the manulactnre of a resident nKx^banie. The 

 Scotch ploiif^li had been enthely snpers(Mled ; and it was rare any- 

 where to find oxen emj)loyed in agricultnre, or more than two 

 horses in an ordinary plongh. It was dnring this period that 

 John Wilkie, an inoenions mechanic in the West of Scotland, 

 eflbcted considerable improvement vijion this fundamenl.'^l impkv 

 menl, and sncceeded in forming- it efliciently of malleable iron ; 

 Avhich material, as possessing greater strength and durability, 

 soon crept into favour, and is now of nearly universal apj)lication 

 in the manufacture of this implement throughout Scotland. Im- 

 proved implements were also a})plied to drill husbandry, both for 

 depositing the seed more equally in the rows, and for eflicioitly 

 cleaning the land between the drills. But above all the threshing- 

 machine, upon Avhich considerable improvements had been made, 

 had established itself so universally over the country, that upon 

 scarcely any farm of above 150 acres of arable land was there not 

 one to be found. Animal power was at this time most commonly 

 applied to this valuable machine, but the ap])lication of water and 

 wind had now become very frequent upon large farms. It is be- 

 lieved steam had also in a few instances been employed, as the 

 nlo^ing power to threshing-machines, before the close of the 

 period. 



Livc-Stock. — The great rise in the price of butcher's meat, 

 during the war, gave prodigious encouragement to the production 

 of live-stock, and caused increased attention to be given to this 

 important branch of husbandry. As, during the last period under 

 review, a considerable addition was made to this kind of produce, 

 greatly owing to the extension of an improved method of arable 

 culture, so it appears highly probable that the rapid advance of 

 the clover and turnip system was now much favoured by the ex- 

 traordinary demand for butchers' meat, to which the better con- 

 dition and increased luxuries of the people now ga-s e rise ; for 

 there can be no doubt that the improved mode of tillage is pro- 

 ductive of a much greater weight of this necessary commodity. 



There is no statistical information upon this subject by which a 

 comparative estimate of this increase can be correctly formed, but 

 there is reason to bolieve, taking into account the increased num- 

 ber of inhabitants supplied, and their greatly improved condition, 

 that it could not have amounted, at the close of this period, to less 

 than 30 per cent., compared with what it was at the beginning, upon 

 the number of cattle alone ; and we have no doubt the increase u})on 

 that of sheep, independently of their improved weight, may be taken 

 ai fully more. It was in a great measure owing- to the improve- 

 ment in the breed of stock, by which earlier maturity was accom- 



