96 



Agriculture of Scotland. 



fertility. We would not be thought to wish in any way to detract 

 from Mr. Smith's invaluable discoveries by these observations, for 

 his great merits are not to be lessened by the misapplication of 

 his principles ; and if it be the duty of the state to reward those 

 who have accomplished, by their genius, great public improve- 

 ments, we know no individual who deserves so well of his country. 



Manures. — At the beginning of this era scarcely an instance was 

 known of the application of foreign manures in Scotland ; or, if 

 known, such instances were merely regarded as subjects of curious 

 experiment. Within the last ten years, however, these have been 

 gradually gaining greater favour, and are now, to the great benefit of 

 agriculture, extensively applied. Bone-dust, particularly, has given 

 opportunity to the culture of a great additional breadth of turnips ; 

 and, by permitting the application of a larger supply of the ma- 

 nure of the farm to the lands nearer the homestead, has still more 

 improved the quality of this fundamental crop. It is almost un- 

 necessary to say that there is scarcely such a thing known in Scot- 

 land as broad-cast turnips ; and the facility which bone-manure 

 affords to the expeditious completion of the drills is not one of the 

 least of its advantages on a turnip-farm, where the labour is neces- 

 sarily hurried at so important a season as turnip-seed time. 

 Hitherto it has been nearly to this crop alone that bone-dust has 

 been applied ; and the quantity generally found sufficient for a full 

 crop, on light sandy soils or gravel — to which this manure is given 

 witFi great success — is 16 bushels per English acre. 



Rape -dust has not been found so generally to suit the soils of 

 Scotland as a manure, and its greater expense has also tended to 

 limit its application in any degree equal to that of bone-dust. In 

 those lands where the latter has not been found productive of the 

 expected advantage — generally greasy soils — the former has some- 

 times proved of considerable efficiency in raising green crops ; and, 

 in some cases, a mixture of the two, in nearly equal proportions, 

 has been found to suit where either, separately, had proved com- 

 paratively ineffectual. The crop to which rape-dust, however, is 

 generally applied is wheat, and the quantity given is from 12 to 

 l4 cwt. per English acre. 



It is considered again unnecessary to go over the usual rotations, 

 as those stated as having become prevalent during the last period 

 characterises equally the present general practice in this respect. 

 The great improvement which has taken place of late years in the 

 mode of cropping is distinguished rather by a desire to be guided 

 by the application of a sound discrimination than by following 

 any fixed rule. It is no doubt still held bad practice to take two 

 corn-crops in immediate succession, and only to be justified by the 

 application of a large addition of m.anure ; but the kind of crop 



