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The ordinary and moft productive crops are oats, a little barley or bear, and but a little of these is cultivated, being found not to answer the foil and climate. Early oats are much in use, and thrive well where the land is rich. Beans and pease are sown in fmall quantities, and wheat in a still fmaller proportion. Potatoes and flax are raifed only for private use, and turnips never fown as a crop. The return of oats is from 5 to 10 bolls of 8 Winchefter bushels the acre, which, for the most part, renders in meal about 18 or 19 pecks from the boll, each peck weighing 8 lb. Of bear the produce is from 4 to 8 bolls the acre; barley rather lefs. Befides ferving the inhabitants, a very confiderable quantity of oats and oat meal is carried to the adjacent towns, and exported to Glasgow and Paifley, where the oats are fold for 19 s. or 20 s. the boll, oat-meal at 17 s. 4 d. 17 s. 5 d. each boll weighing 8 ftone, barley at L. 1, 6s. bear at L. 1, 4 s. beans and peafe at 4 s. the bushel*.

Farmers in times that are now paft were allowed to choose for themselves what kind and what portion of land they would lay under fome of these crops; for it was only fome that they could raise, during which time they could not produce plenty, confequently paid a very fmall rent. They neither knew the full force of lime, nor had it in their power, for want of roads, to apply it. In the early dawning of agricultural knowledge, they were taught to confine themfelves to croft and outfield; the former was ploughed 3 and refled one year; and when laid down for

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*The feed time for oats commences the ift of April, and ends in the beginn og of May; potatoes are planted about the fame time; beans and peafe are fewn rather ealier; barley, from the 1ft of May to the 1st of June; fpring what in March, and that for winter in September or October, but of these we have very little. The time of reaping is from the 1ft of September to the middle of October.

this short reft, it got a little dreffing, with what dung could be fpared from garden and potatoes. The outfield lay in grafs fo many years, and was ploughed so many as was agreed upon, without any manure whatever, during which time there were bad crops, and as bad pafture; therefore poor tenants, and small ill paid rents. When fuch leafes came to an end, and when the land was completely inclosed, the diftinction of outfield and infield was taken away, and a method of farming, very fimple, yet well adapted to the nature of the foil, was introduced, particularly in the management of Lord Eglinton's eftate. The great object was to lift the land for tillage, and to lay it down again in good heart. Reft and lime were fufficient for the first, and a reftriction in ploughing, with the application of dung to the laft or two laft crops in that reftriction for the latter. To promote these ends effectually 3 divifions were made of each farm, 1 of which was limed at the proprietor's expenfe with the quantity of ico or 150 bolls the acre, which is burnt by the farmers themselves, and spread upon the field to be ploughed, fometimes 12 months, and fometimes only 2 before tilling. This one divifion and no more is allowed at a time to be in tillage. The other 2 remain under grafs. After ploughing the one divifion mentioned for 3 years fucceffively, it was committed to reft on the laft of thefe, with grafs-feeds fown among thofe for the 3d crop. Then another divifion, limed at the tenant's expense, was broken up, and fo in rotation. The tenant is always permitted to cut the grafs for the 1ft year of that divifion which was laft laid down. This method is ftill in practice; but where the farm is large, another mode has been adopted; 4 divifions are preferred to 3; and each divifion is ploughed 3 years, then refts 9; or 2 grain crops are taken from it, and then is turned into pasture, in which state VOL. IX. Z z

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it continues for 6 years *.-The rent a-acre has been as low as 4s. or 5s. Then the tenants were poorer than now, when it, upon an average, is fo high as L. 1, 2s. or L. 1, 35. Where leafes have been granted within thefe 5 years past, the rent is from L. 1, 10 s. to L. 1, 12 s. In a particular farm 74 acres of pasture land was let about a month ago, for 2 years after Whitsunday 1794, at L. 124 Sterling, and a number of acres in the fame farm, for ploughing, 3 years, at L. 5 and L. 5, 10s. the acre; nor is there reason for complaints, for that land yielded, on each acre, 10 or 12 bolls of corn; yet this very land, between 20 and 30 years ago, was rented fo low as 4 s. or 5s. an acre, and after all the tenant went a bankrupt out of it. Little reason, then, have our farmers to upbraid those gentlemen who have raifed their rents, feeing they have also taught them how to acquire even more than thefe rents. There have been, and there will always be fome men in society, so stupid as not to be fenfible of their own intereft, or fo wicked as not to be grateful when it is promoted; but the good and wife will be open to conviction, ready to submit to instruction, and to be governed by the judgment of others, whole 3 knowledge

*Some attribute the introduction of this laft mode to Mr Fairlie of Fairlie, in the management of his own and the Earl of Eglinton's eftates. Some fay the alteration originated from Mr Snodgrafs of Cuninghamhead; others affirm, that Alr Ralston, factor for Lord Eglinton, is the author of it, and that he first practifed it in the culture of a large farm which he poffefles. Any, nay all of these gentlemen, are well qualified for making ufeul and important difcoveries in the province of agriculture. Whoever of them has the merit of this, it is abundantly evident, that the land by it must be still preferved in ftrength and vigour, especially when this circumftance is confidered, that the tenants are ftrictly prohibited from laying dung upon ley, and bound to apply it only to the divifion immediately in tillage. In every tack granted by the leafes of Lord Eglinton's lands. the precife method of husbandry is defcribed, and a ftrict regard to it fecured by an high penalty in cafe of forfeiture, which in every inftance has been demanded, and however reluctantly, paid.

knowledge is better cultivated, and whose observation is more accurate and extensive than their own; of these last it is hoped there are not a few in the parish of Kilmaurs. Induftry in any undertaking is, for the most part, abundantly rewarded: "The hand of the diligent maketh rich;" and industry, recommended by those whose rank sets them above the common level of life, cannot fail of gaining attention, which is the first step towards a conformity of action. Such examples are in the eye of the farmers of Kilmaurs. Several gentlemen occupy their own eftates, or at least in part, on which they practise the most approved methods of husbandry, and add to them the difcoveries of their own experiments. The contents of the parish in acres, and the

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*Captain Cuninghame of Thornton, who, though ftill a young man, and when still much younger, was bred up to a military life, in which, the less that is thought of mother earth the better, has, in the course of a few years, by unwearied application, attained a very uncommon degree of knowledge, both in the theory and practice of agriculture, as is evident from the present state of his lands, compared with that in which he found them, and the cafe and affluence of his prefent circumstances, which, in a Such an exgreat measure, is owing to his own careful management. ample of industry followed by fuccefs, affords an excellent leilon, and it would be injuftice to the publice to with-hold it.-Mr John Morrice, who having followed a feafaring life, in which, by knowing when to lay hold of the opportunities that Providence puts in every man's power one time or other, of bettering his condition, made an handiome fortune, with which he retired, and purchased the eftate of Craig in this parish. His first operation there was that of repairing the manfion-house and offices; but before these were finished, the houfe, either by accident or defign, was fet on fire and confu.ned. Report fays, that a fervant, in absence of his master, having found access to the cellar, or place where the liquors were kept, embezzled them so much, that becoming afraid of a detection at his master's return, took this horrid method of concealing his crime. Be this true or falfe, the very furmife fhould make all fervants beware of indulging any one evil, however trivial it may appear; becaufe one wicked deed leads on to another, till at lait all fenfe of character is loft, and life itself falls in the iffue a victim to depraved appetites. On the o

ther

amount of real rent, are fecrets which the public, it is thought, should not pry into. Be it fo, ne futor ultra crepidam; but there can be no harm, furely, in figuring it away. If then it be true, that the real rent comes nearly

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ther hand, too much caution cannot be used in keeping temptation at a distance from that clafs of people whofe minds are feldom, at the proper age, tutored to the love of virtue. Mr Morrice, though he no doubt suffered a great lofs in this event, did immediately begin the building of another house, the plan and fituation of which he entirely made new; but had not the pleasure of feeing it fully completed, before death removed him to a better habitation. The character which he left behind him, is that of an honeft, fenfible and benevolent man. Mr Robert Morrice, his only brother, fucceeded to the whole of his landed eftate, and the greatest part of his money. This gentleman, for feveral years, was engaged in the affairs of trade and commerce at Glasgow; from which, with an excellent character, he hath drawn confiderable gains; these added to his inheritance, are more than fufficient for all the purposes of genteel living, which he enjoys in eafe and elegance, to the great pleafure of all who know him, being endeared to them by his amiable manners, integrity, candour, humanity, benevolence, and the warmest friendfhip. His early engagements in bufinefs eftranged him to the affairs of the country; but his habits of application, and aptness to learn, have qualified him for directing the cultivation of his own eftate, and for contributing his example to the benefit of those who need to be guided by the good conduct of them, whofe advantages of education and improvement are fuch as do not fall to the lot of the many. He has finished and fitted up in an elegant manner the house which his brother had begun, dressed the land about it in good taste, made a pleasant approach, feveral gravel walks, with other ornaments, added fome conveniencies to the offices, and drained fome fields that were spouty and four. The houfe of Craig is delightfully fituated on the banks of the Irvine, which, after falling in a beautiful cafcade, from a mill-dam on the fouth of the garden, appears again under the windows, in a surface smooth as glass. The Frith of Glyde, the Rock of Ailfa, and the Hills of Arran, terminate the view on another quarter.

In the immediate neighbourhood of this charming fite on the N. E. is Carmel-bank, the property of Mr John Cuninghame, to whom this account is indebted for fome hints of information. His houfe flands on the bank of the Carmel, from which circumftance it has its present name; formerly

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