Lothian. Two-horse ploughs are univerfally employed, and the plough held in highest eftimation is that made by J. Small at Rofebank, which is defervedly confidered as the greatest improvement agriculture has received for many years. Mr Small published some time ago an account of his plough in a particular treatise, and fince that publication, he has made a farther improvement, by fubftituting, in place of the wooden head, one of caft metal. Latt year, (1791,) the first experiment was made with a plough fo mounted in this parish, and before proper judges. Though the field pitched on was very rough, and fix horses were yoked and driven on at a great rate, yet the caft metal head was not in the leaft damaged. Since that time practice proves, that no torce ever neceffary to be applied to the plough can injure it. The value of this improved plough appears from its being univerfally adopted, and the great commiffions the inventor receives. The advantage of alternate green and white crops is fufficiently understood; but though the turnip husbandry was first practifed here, and the nature of the foil in many parts is very favourable to that fyftem, yet turnips are fcarcely cultiva ted at present. The turnip husbandry requires fo accurate a skill in the buying and felling of cattle, that every person is not qualified for conducting it. It is a curious fact, that, when turnips were firft cultivated in the parish, during those early experiments, no manure, it was imagined, would anfwer for raising them, but the best which Edinburgh produced. The principal productions are wheat, barley, oats, pease, beans, hay; and the best rotation that is obferved is fallow, wheat, peafe, barley, graís and oats. Some of the farmers drive manure, from the distance of 4 or 5 miles, and up hill, to improve their ftiff lands, every cubic yard of which, when laid on the land, cofts them about 5 s. The farms are laid out from 100 to 500 acres. The rent

of

of land runs from 5 s. to 30 s. an acre, and a few fields of

good quality are let fo high as L. 2 the acre. A mildew infects the banks of the Tyne from Cranfion to Pencaitland, and fometimes does material damage to wheat and oats. The lands about Ormiston generally fuffer more than any other part of the tract where it prevails. The rent of the parish is about L. 2800 Sterling, and the valued rent is L. 6208: 1: 4 Scots. The rent of the smallest farm is L. 35, and of the greatest L. 300 *.

Population, &c.-The population, according to Dr Webster's report, was 725. From an exact furvey made in the 1792, the number of fouls amounted to 839; males, 376, females, 463. After extracting 3 different periods from the parish register, the number of births stood as follows from 1715 to 1726, the males were 112, and the females 144, total 256; from 1739 to 1750, the males were 106, and the females 111, total 217; and from 1779 to 1790, the males were 90, and the females 95, total 185. The average of male births, therefore, for the space of 30 years, is fomewhat more than 10, of female more than 11, and of both, nearly 22 yearly. From this extract, however, it would not be a juft conclufion to infer, that the number of births, and confequently the population, has been on the decrease; because every year, on account of the feceffion, the neglect or poverty of parents, feveral births are omitted to be inferted in the parish register. The average of marriages, for the space of 10 years, amounted to 8, but the register where they are inferted has not been kept with any exactness. There are 3 villages

in

*The wages of a ploughman during the half year, are from L. 2, 15 s. to 1. 3, 6 s. and of a hind from L. 5 to L. 5, 10 s. during the year, with grafs for a cow, and 2 pecks of meal in the week. The hire of a daylabourer is 10 d. and I s. in winter, and I s. 2 d. in fummer.

in the parish, Cranston, Coufland, and Prefton; the population of Cranston is 81 males, 106 females, total 187; of Coufland, 68 males, 94 females, total 162; and of Preston, 29 males, 46 females, total 75.

There is no

The rent of a houfe is from 12 s. to 20 s. characteristical difference between the inhabitants of this and the other parishes of Mid-Lothian. If there be any ground for animadverfion, the abufe of fpiritous liquors among the lower ranks affords it. Where fuch a habit prevails, the health fuffers, bufinefs is neglected, and poverty follows of course. These pernicious effects were not fo common, when ale and beer were more generally drunk. It would certainly then be an effential fervice to the community, to impofe fuch a duty on fpiritous liquors, or to transfer it from ale and beer to them, as would diminish the number of low tippling houses, and bring back the people to the fafer ufe of malt liquor.

Stipend and Poor.-The ftipend is L. 57:6:11 in money, 16 bolls 2 pecks 1 lippy of barley, 32 bolls 1 peck 1 lippy of oats, and 2 bolls 3 pecks of wheat. The living is in the gift of Lady Dalrymple Hamilton Macgill, representative

representative of the Viscounts of Oxenford. The man fion house and lands of East Caickmoor, though disjoined by the parish of Crichton, yet belong to this parish, and pay stipend to the minifter.-The poor are supported from the weekly collections, and the interest of money left by charitable perfons for their behoof; a fund which has hitherto answered every demand, and confequently there has been no affeffment. The number of poor is from 14 to 19, and their capital at interest is L. 357 Sterling. In this parish, there is a Friendly Society, lately inftituted for the fupport of its diftreffed members and indigent widows. The regulations, dictated by experience, or copied from fimilar focieties of a long standing, feem well calculated to anfwer the ends of the inftitution. Such affociations merit the countenance of the landed intereft, because they tend to leffen the number of the poor, and retard a general affeffment.

H

NUM.

NUMBER XIX.

PARISH OF KILCONQUHAR,

(COUNTY AND SYNOD OF FIFE, PRESBYTERY OF ST ANDREW's.)

By the Rev. Mr ALEXANDER SMALL.

Name, Extent, Surface, Soil, &c.

KICONQUHAR is derived probably either from Cella, the

cell or chapel of a faint or monk, called Conachar ; or from the Gaelic Kil, a place of worship or interment, and Conachar. From S. to N. that is, from the fea to the borders of the parish of Ceres, it is about 8 English miles in length; and, in general, about 2 in breadth. It is fituated in that part of the county of Fife, which, on account of the narrowness of the land, jutting out into the German Sea, and washed by the friths of the Forth and the Tay, is called the Eaft Nook of Fife. Its furface is fomewhat irregular, being flat in the fouth for 1 miles from the fea; rifing gently towards the north for about 2 miles; then, after a small declivity, afcending again towards the north for more than of a mile, on the north of which the ground

is