Agriculture of Scotland. 



Ill 



tions "however, he must acloiowledge, as compared with the present 

 practice, have been verv far from perfect ; and from the now limited 

 term of his lease, he has not considered himself further warranted to 

 incur the large outlav, which the adoption of the more perfect sys- 

 tem recentlv introduced would necessarily involve. But he can 

 refer with confidence to the com.plete success of such improvements 

 to his spirited and intelligent immediate neighbour, Mr. Roberson 

 of LadvTig, who has lately renewed his occupation upon an im- 

 proA-ing lease of twenty- one years, and who by the adoption of Mr. 

 Smith's svstem of drainage is fast proceeding altogether to change 

 the character of the greater part of his farm. In reference to the 

 soil thus alluded to, and occupied by the ^ATite^, it may be men- 

 tioned that in the Statistical Account of the Parish of Kelso* 

 (1794) it is stated, as descriptive of this land, "^that it is in general 

 thin and wet, and the bottom is a red clay: here the crops are 

 generally three weeks later than in the \icinity of the rivers." That 

 such is a correct account of matters at this period we have little 

 doubt, as the effects of the i;\T:iter's partial improvements since 

 1824 have been such as to produce an earlier maturity to the 

 extent of at least ten days ; and it may be confidently asserted there 

 is now little palpable difference between the harvesting of the 

 crops here, and those of the land along the river sides. 



The more extensive application of bone-dust has also assisted 

 eminently in improving the quality of the turnip crops, and thus 

 tending to the general increased fertility of the soil. In place of, 

 as formerly, dravving out the farm-yard dung so as to extend over 

 the whole fallow break, — by which practice no part was sufBciently 

 manured, and a secondary crop the result — the application of bone- 

 dust to a portion admits of a concentration upon the nearer lands 

 of the heavier material in sufficient quantity, so that the farmer is 

 enabled to act upon the golden maxim of good husbandry, never 

 to sow a crop where there is not condition in the soil to grow it 

 luxuriantly." The consequence is that in place of the turnips 

 being worth 3/. an acre, they are now more frequently worth 61. ; 

 and of this benefit all the after crops partake in relative proportion. 



In conclusion, we cannot resist the opportunity of again advert- 

 ing to the duty which is, at this crisis, specially incumbent upon 

 the proprietors of the soil to come liberally forward, mutually to 

 co-operate with the tenantry in promoting the extension of those 

 unprovements which have been proved to be so eminently calcu- 

 lated to advance the prosperity of the countrv. 



At no period in the history of agriculture have the benefits de- 

 rived from a given species of amelioration been so obviously con- 

 spicuous, nor the expense in proportion to the result so capable of 



* Sir John Sinclair's, vol, x. 



