veral into one.

Here, by the diminution and feparation

of farms. Previous to 1769, the whole eftate of Abernyte, which is more than half the parish, was let to four farmers, who poffeffed their arable lands in the old ftate of run ridge, and held their grats in common. A divifion was then made, and the eftate fplit into five farms of a larger kind, and 8 or 10 of 1maller dimenfions. The te nants of this last order, being generally manufacturers, with large families, managed their little farms without the afliftance of any fervants. And the others preferred unmarried fervants, who, living in the house, were conftantly under their eye, to cottagers; who having families at home, were fuppofed to pay more attention to them than was confiftent with their master's intereft. Another caufe that has affe&ted population in fome degree, is the non-refidence of fome farmers, and the inclofing and turning into grafs a large farm, which has now upon it neither farmer nor fervant. In a large district the operation of these causes would be fcarce felt; but in a small parish like this, their effects are more confpicuous. There is fcarce a place in the parish now that deferves the name of a village. Three hamlets contain among them 41 houses. The other houses are scattered through the parish; many of them ftand fingly, a few of them in pairs or greater numbers. All the inhabitants are natives of Scotland. There are 88 married perfons; 13 widows and 3 widowers; males above 8 years, 126; females, 150; males below 8, 39; females, 30. Farmers who have no other occupation, 7; their fervants,. 18; fervants of farmers not refiding, 7; wrights, 6; turner, 1; cooper, 1; weavers, 1; tailor, 1; fhoemakers, 2; brewers, 2; butcher, 1; flaxdreffers, 2; thatcher, 1; fmiths, 3; corn-millers, 3; flax-millers, 5; carters, 2; labourers, 6.

Agriculture,

Agriculture, &c.-Very confiderable improvements have taken place in this parish within these 20 or 30 years. One of them I already hinted at, the abolishing the run-ridge system. The inconveniencies of the old fyftem, and its influence in retarding improvement, are very obvious. But indeed the genius of the country at that time was little directed to this important object. Proprietors farming their own lands made as little progrefs as the oppreffed tenant. About 20 years ago, a new fpirit seemed to arise in all this part of the country. Improvements took place every where. Certain circumftances in the fituation of this parish retarded their progress among us for fome years. One of the most powerful of these circumftances, was the short leafes given to the tenants. Many farms were held only by the year. This, however, was lately remedied in fome degree, and leafes for 19 years granted through all the parish. Improvement followed of course, furze and broom were grubbed up on the hills, and the land ploughed for the first time; bogs were drained, and pasture and outfield grounds brought into more perfect cultivation. There is ftill much outfield ground in the higher part of the parish. One farm is divided into 15 acres infield, and 125 outfield, befides moor grounds. The means of improvement here are green crops, particularly artificial graffes, fallowing and lime. A little marl was ufed fome years ago, but it is now all exhaufted; within a convenient diftance, lime is preferred as a more stimulating manure, while it is less pernicious to the foil, marl having been found to exhaust the ground very completely in a fhort time. Lime is procured from Polgavie, a harbour on the Tay, about 4 miles diftant. It is brought chiefly from the frith of Forth and Sunderland, and fome fmall quantities from Newburgh, on the other fide of the Tay. It is purchased at the harbour at the following prices: Newburgh, the boll barley meafure,

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is

fure, 2 s. 3 d.; Sunderland, fame meafure, 2 s. 4 d.; Forth, wheat measure, Is. 6d. The general allowance the acre, 25 bolls barley measure, or 34 of wheat measure. Lime is laid on with a crop of wheat or barley. The manner of ploughing uniformly is with two horfes and one man; the plough is the common English. No cattle are used in hufbandry in any part of the parish. The number of ploughs 31, of carts 35. No rotation of crops can be faid to be obferved in this parish. They endeavour to have wheat every 4th year, for which they prepare the ground by fallow, peafe, potatoes, or by a half fallow after flax. The quantity of grain produced cannot be stated with precifion. Number of acres fown with wheat about 70; pease 20; potatoes 12 or 14; flax 16; turnip 14; grafs 70; barley about 120; oats is the principal crop, but it is impoffible to state the number of acres, as that varies every year as the season may fuit for breaking up outfield grounds. Little barley is fown in outfield, and bear is not cultivated. Various fpecies of wheat have been introduced here from the Carfe, but the Scots white wheat is chiefly cultivated, having from its hardness been found most fuited to the climate. The oats used are the common white, a few parcels of black and grey in the outfields, and fome early Dutch in rich foils. Several experiments have been made with other kinds of early oats, with larger grains, but none have turned out fo profitable as thefe, which often produce 10 bolls the acre. The general produce of an acre may be estimated, of wheat, barley and infield oats, about 7 bolls each; outfield oats 4; pease 3. Pease are not fown for the crop, but merely as a mean of melioration. The kind commonly ufed is an early black. Beans are very feldom attempted. Flax produces 25 ftones the acre; quantity fown is 10 pecks the acre. The feed is generally saved; though little of it is fit for fowing again, it brings about is. the peck for the oilVOL. IX.

T

mills.

mills. It is to be obferved, that the firlot, both barley and wheat, is a Scotch pint larger than the ftandard. This may be in fome degree owing to a privilege poffeffed by the burgh of Dundee, of taking a ladleful from every boll delivered in the town or at the harbour.-About 80 young cattle are reared annually, which are fold at the age of 2 or 3 years. Very few are fed in the parish. Eight or 10 young horfes are annually bred. The number of horfes is 86; of milk cows 122; the cattle here are of a small breed, from 15 to 30 ftone; there are now no fheep kept; within these 40 years, there were two confiderable flocks, whose walks have been converted into tillage, or occupied by black cattle, to which or coarfe pasture is better adapted *.

Manufactures, Wages, Prices, &c.-From the state of the cultivation of the parish, it is evident, that numbers of the people are employed in agriculture. The manufacture of coarse linen alfo employs a confiderable proportion, though the number of weavers is now greatly leffened, the deftruction of cottages having chiefly affected this clafs of people. The kinds manufactured here are coarse shirting and harn or packsheet. This stuff fells from 3d. to 4d. the yard. An ordinary weaver is able to manufacture

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While the improvement of land in general has been pretty well at-. tended to, one branch of it, of importance both to the pleasure and healthy fubfiftence of the artifan, has been almost entirely neglected, iz gardening. In the gardens even of the farmers, the only vegetables raifed are kail and potatoes, and fometimes a few cabbages. In the cottager's yard, the laft is entirely omitted; though they are al fond of, and confume great quantities of the onion tribe, they never think of cultivating a fingle plant of them. The kail ufed here is a coarse hardy red fpecies, which feems peculiar to the country.-No minerals have been difcovered, nor are there almost any stones fit for building; to which may be attributed, in fome degree, the miferable hovels in which the people live, and the few inclofures that have yet been made.

from 20 to 30 yards a day. In the parish are 3 mills, 2 for corn, and I for flax. One of the mills only has thirlage, which is not very extenfive, nor are the multures heavy, amounting on infucken or grain thrled to a 15th part of the meal produced, on outfucken, to a 20th. Flax is fcutched at 18 d. the ftone. On a small ftream called Tidyad, which separates this parish from Longforgan, there are, within the space of a mile, 9 mills, 4 of which are for flax, 2 others within the fame fpace were lately pulled down, as they stood within a piece of ground laying out for pleasure ground *.

Living

The wages in this district are, for a labourer, 8 d. or 9 d. with his victuals; from I s. to 1 s. 4 d. without; when engaged by the season for threshing, 9 d. the boll. There is yet only one threshing-mill in the pa rish. Wages of a wright, I s. 4d.; of a tailor, 8 d. with victuals. Outwork is generally done by the piece. Wages of a man fervant, from L. S to L. to a-year; provifions to those who do not eat in the houfe, 16 pound of oat-meal the week, and 6 d. for milk, or a cow among two or three; of women fervants, from L. 3 to L. 3, lo s. which are not paid wholly in money, but partly in certain perquifites called bountiths. Women not engaged in service, are employed in spinning yarn for linens and thread. For fpinning, they receive from 1 s. 2d to 1 s. 5 d. the spindle, of which they spin a half one the day. It appears from Boetius, that linen was very early a confiderable manufacture at Dundee, and it ftill continues the ftaple of this country. A woman's hire for weeding, is 5 d. with victuals, or 8 d without; in harvest, 9 d. and 10 d.; in harvest, a man's I s. The common practice is to hire for a whole harvest, when a man receives from L. I to L. 1, 5 s.; a woman, from 15 s. to 18 s. A harvest lafts from 3 to 5 weeks. In the Carfe, where the harvest is earlier, and of fhorter duration, they have frequently finished before we begin here. Hence it is no uncommon thing for a perfon to reap two harvests, and in the course of 5 or 6 weeks to earn, a man L.. 2, 10 s. and a woman L. 1, 10 s. The provifions for reapers uniformly in this country, are bread and ale for dinner; they are allowed somewhat more than a pound of oat bread and 3 mutchkins of ale.—The prices of provifions have been doubled here within thefe 20 years. Butchers meat is from 3 d. to 4 d. the pound; a fowl, Is.; eggs, from 3 d. to 5 d.; butter, from 7 d. to 10 d. the pound; cheese,

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