48  Oil  the  Climate  of  the  British  Islands 
information  that  I prefer  giving  it  in  his  own  words.  It  is  dated 
Applegarth  Manse,  February  14,  1850: — 
“ 1 have  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  letter  of  the  9th  inst.,  and 
desirous  of  furnishing  you  with  the  information  you  request  as  accurately 
as  possible — more  so  than  I could  of  my  own  personal  knowledge — I 
applied  to  a friend  in  this  neighbourhood,  Mr.  Charles  Stewart,  who  of  all 
others  in  the  south  of  Scotland  is  the  highest  authority  on  the  subject  of 
your  inquiries ; and  the  following  is  the  result : — 
“ ‘This  district  of  country  is  a valley  watered  by  several  rivers,  the  largest 
of  which  is  called  the  Annan,  hence  the  said  district  is  called  Annandale 
extending  from  the  source  of  the  river  to  the  sea,  about  30  miles,  in  a 
direction  nearly  north  and  south.  Along  this  valley,  to  a height  of  not 
more  than  300  feet  above  sea-level,  it  has  been  the  practice  to  grow  less 
or  more  wheat ; and  in  dry  warm  summers  it  ripens  well,  and  is  of  a fair 
average  quality — that  is  from  60  to  64  lbs.  weight  per  imperial  bushel ; 
but  from  the  humidity  of  our  months  of  July  and  August,  it  is  a very  un- 
certain crop,  on, the  average  quite  inferior,  in  point  both  of  quality  and 
quantity  of  produce,  to  that,  of  the  counties  along  the  eastern  coast  of 
Scotland  from  Berwick  to  Caithness,  where,  on  the  whole,  the  average 
temperature  of  the  summer  months  will  not  be  higher  than  ours,  indeed  a 
little  lower.  In  these  eastern  counties,  wheat  is  grown  in  suitable  soils  as 
a regular  paying  crop ; but  I think  this  suitableness  scarcely  extends  to 
more  than  300  feet  above  sea-level. 
“ ‘ In  this  county  of  Dumfries  little  wheat  was  grown  before  the  year  1800. 
From  that  to  1815  it  rapidly  extended,  and  might  be  equal  to  about  one- 
sixth  of  the  extent  of  the  oats  in  the  lower  valleys  and  along  the  sea-coast. 
Since  then  it  has  gradually  declined  in  extent,  and  now,  I should  suppose, 
it  is  not  equal  to  one-thirtieth  part  of  the  oat-crops.  As  to  the  ripening  of 
oats,  I may  mention  that  at  Leadhills,  on  the  northern  boundary  of  this 
county,  land  is  cultivated  by  the  lead-miners  for  the  sake  of  potatoes  and 
hay,  and  oats  are  occasionally  tried  ; but  rarely,  perhaps  not  once  in  seven 
years,  is  there  any  meal  or  kernel  in  them — they  are  used  merely  as  straw 
for  cattle.  Leadhills  village  is  1400  feet  above  sea-level.  Potatoes,  in 
most  years,  grow  a crop  perhaps  equal  to  two-thirds  of  that  in  low  grounds. 
I mean  as  to  quantity : the  quality  is  not  good.  I know,  however,  farms  in 
Lanarkshire,  the  county  adjoining  to  this  on  the  north,  about  1000  feet 
above  sea-level,  where  oats  are  cultivated  regularly  in  rotation  with  other 
crops ; and  the  old  Scotch  barley,  or  bear,  perhaps  more  successfully  than 
the  oats. 
“ ‘ The  extent  of  cultivation,  however,  either  of  grain  or  green  crops,  on 
soils  more  than  700  feet  above  sea-level,  is  in  this  county  very  small. 
Potatoes  clearly  grow  at  a greater  altitude  than  turnips,  and  I should  say 
at  300  or  400  feet  higher  than  oats — that  is,  with  no  larger  diminution  of 
growth,  below  an  average  of  the  proper  altitude  for  both.  I need  not  say, 
however,  that  the  soil  or  nature  of  the  subsoil  has  much  to  do  with  the 
ripening  in  all  cases  of  grain  or  green  crops.’ 
“Such  is  the  information  furnished  me  by  my  skilful  friend  Mr.  Stewart, 
and  in  his  own  words.  You  may  rely  on  its  accuracy,  and  I hope  it  will 
prove  satisfactory.” 
This  communication  lias  an  additional  value  from  the  fact  that 
the  summer  temperature  of  Applegarth  Manse  is  57°,  being  near 
the  minimum  which  I had  before  determined  as  requisite  for  the 
growth  of  wheat.  The  decline  of  the  crop  in  this  district  is  thus 
confirmatory  of  the  view  advanced  on  this  subject  (83). 
