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Some Oh^ervAtms macie in Scotland by that Ingenious Knight 
Sir George Makenzie, fent in a Letter to Mr. James Gregory, 
andbjf him communicated to the Publisher. 
S I R, 
IT were as needlefs as fruitlefs to write a Hifiory of our 
Land as to its ordinary qualities , produftions , fcituations> 
and the like ; or of the ordinary methods of manuring it for 
Corns and Fruits; fince I know little prafliced here, but what 
is fo ovbr all the Nation. I fliall ina ftorc time give j ou fome 
account of fome (iM^rcafites SLudMiMrals, that are found here, 
after I have given a little time to examine fome Informa- 
tions^ 
Of Earths I have" little to fay ; only one of our moft or- 
dinary Soyls for Barley-land , is an Earth digged and mixed 
with Beafts-dung : In a place near my dwelling there is a plot 
of ground, lefs than one Acre, out of which forthefe many 
Xears paft Earth hath been digged for the faidufej and in two 
years time it will grow up again, and fill the excavated place, 
fo that it continually furniftes Soyl for the* adjacent Lands. 
An other like this I have in a Farm belonging to my felf, 
twenty miles diftant from this, of the fame nature and quality. 
' Both are a ftiff Clayifii Earth , of a dark colour and moift^ 
Both thefe places { have viewed thefe feveral years, and have 
difcerned this truth: It wilt grow a foot high in two years. 
Nothing makes our Land give greater increafe of Barley than 
Sea- wrack C^lga marina ;) but Lands often ufed to this manure 
y ield but bad Oats, and fmall quantity , and the husks both of 
the Barley and Oats that grow on fuch Lands are thicker than 
thofe that grow on other Lauds,and thefe grains have alfb greater 
mixture of darnel. 
The Increafe that fome places in our Ifles do yield is almoft 
incredible, confidering the Climate and Soyl. For fome will 
ordinarily yield fixtcenor eighteen fold, as very honeft and 
credible Farmers have often informed me from their continual 
Experience: Andmoftof ihofe Lands, that yield fo well ^ are 
of 
