Agriculture of Scotland. 



91 



tific manner, in which many agricultural operations came now to 

 be carried on in Scotland. 



Chemistry and mineralogy have been called in to assist in the 

 promotion of new modes of improving the nature and capabilities 

 of the soil, while botany and vegetable physiology have been, in 

 many instances, brought successfully forward to point out a method 

 of cropping suited to surmount obstacles which have interfered 

 with the success of certain crops. In short, if we were required, 

 in one word, to characterize the present state of agriculture, from 

 that of former periods, we should say, that it is now more pursued 

 as a science. It is true all may not be regulated in theh practice 

 by original conceptions, founded on such high authority ; but, from 

 the general intelligence and acute observation which pervades the 

 whole class, successful management is sure, at no very distant 

 time, to attract imitators among those who may be less inclined to 

 lead. The day, it is hoped, is now gone by when to the farmer 

 can be applied with justice the obloquy of imperturbable and cul- 

 pable adherence to antiquated practices; and he may now, we 

 presume, fairly maintain his title to a share in the commendation, 

 which justly belongs to the other industrial classes of this country, 

 for activity and enterprise. 



But, while the progress of improvement in agriculture has gone 

 pretty steadily on to this result, its success has not been, as during 

 the former period, so uniformly great ; and its history in this re- 

 spect displays a more chequered aspect. The great fall of prices 

 which took place about the close of the war created a reaction, 

 which soon told with severity upon a numerous class of agricultu- 

 rists. Rents, which had attained an unnatural elevation, from the 

 confidence inspired by so long a continuance of high prices, occa- 

 sioned a great embarrassment to the majority of tenants. Hence 

 a period of severe agricultural distress early began to manifest itself. 

 The price of wheat, which for the previous five years had averaged 

 upwards of 108^. per quarter, fell in 1815 to 535. 7d., and in the 

 January of the following year to 52s. 6d. ; and, although there 

 was a revival of prices to a considerable extent, owing to the defi- 

 cient harvests of 1816 and 1817:, Scotland did not participate much 

 in this improvement, as that deficiency arose from a cause — the 

 lateness of the seasons — which materially influenced the produc- 

 tiveness of the crops in this part of the kingdom. The crop of the 

 following year proved, indeed, productive ; but, a different result 

 being early anticipated, and alarm being easily excited, from the 

 previous short supplies, an unprecedentedly large importation, 

 amounting to upwards of 1,500,000 quarters, in this year, depressed 

 prices again beyond the fair ratio, and occasioned such an accumu- 

 lation as operated to keep grain under a remunerating price for 

 many years. A severe check was thus given to agricultural 



