7696 £3461 £3420 The proprietors of the three last estates refide upon them. In the parish of Kiltearn, the following is the mode in which the arable land is occupied, and proportional extent of land under each crop. 160 ftones † 64d. £ 4 610 But still more particular is the following account of the extent of land-crops, and value in the parish of Cramond, which is here inferted as an article of curious information, chiefly to readers that do not belong to this country. Total value. £3466 4777 1950 Price. Total price Total produce. 128,000 ft. 186 16 s. 416 0 1,8cdb. 1440 Soo Hay, 21 S. Ì3s. 750 Pasture, at 40s. per aere,. 250 Fallow, 90 Wafte lands, 3890 Straw fold in Edinburgh and elsewhere, Total, Total rent of land in the parish, 412 £1700 £6700 By lea is meant arable land left to bear grafs without being fown. +Aftone of hay here is equal to 21 pounds Averdupois. A boll of wheat, of pease, beans, or of rye, is equal to 4 bushels Winchester nearly. SA boll of oats, or of barley, is equal to 6 Winchester bushels neatly, Total Rent. Many interefting obfervations occur in this volume respecting rent, which cannot here be specified, but which will ferve to fuggeft many ideas to the the attentive reader. This column is much better filled up than could have been expected; and it is poffible many of the blanks may still be fupplied, fo as that in a fupplement, the total land rents of this country, at the prefent day, may be pretty diftinctly afcertained. Perhaps no country in Europe has advanced more rapidly in thofe improvements to which the baneful influence of revenue laws do not extend, than Scotland has done for thirty or forty years paft. Of this, feveral very ftriking proofs occur in the prefent volume refpecting agriculture, among which are the following: Edrom parish, in 1733, the rent was 2000 1. Sterling; it now is 6943 1. Sterling per annum. Troquire-parith in 1952 was rented at 950 1. Its present rent is 4750 1. Thefe are folid proofs of capital improvements having taken place. Many interesting remarks will occur to a fenfible obferver, on comparing the last column in this table with the fecond; that is, the amount of the rent yielded to the proprietor, compared with the numbers of the people. Thus it appears, that in the parish of Hownam, 365 perfons yield a rent of 2720 1.; whereas, in the parish of Deling in Shet. land, 1504 perfons only afford a rent of 233 1.-In Hownam, the live stock is chiefly sheep, which amount to about 12000.-In Delting, the fheep are not fewer than 8000.The milk cows amount to 700, befides oxen and young cattle, and horses a great many; and all this is stated to be but a very incomplete ftocking.-Is it poffible to bring a stronger proof of the impolicy of mifmanagement?-Were the people in this neglected country properly encouraged, the rent to the proprietors might in time rife, not to ten, but to a hundred times its prefent amount *.-Confidered as an articlein the great hiftory of civil fociety, the account of the rish of Delting is an object of much curiofity. pa When will the proprietors learn this important and fundamental maxim in political economy, that before their vassals can afford an adequate value for the property they occupy, they must first be put in eafy circumstances July 6, The very interefting matter contained in this publication has drawn this article to a much greater length than was intended; but this, it is hoped, our readers will readily excufe. themselves? As, in morals, to do to others as we would wish that they fhould do unto us, is the golden rule, fo the above may be called the golden rule in political economy. Were the proprietors, instead of killing the goofe in order to get at once the golden egg, to feed and cherish it till it acquired health and vigour, it would then produce eggs in abundance. It muft, however, be owned, that it requires no little skill and attention to overcome established prejudices, and to introduce a proper fyftem of economy, where it has not yet been established; fo that men are less to blame who go with the ftream, than most perfons will be difpofed to admit. For want of a proper knowledge of the fubject, many attempts that have been made to better the condition of the people, have produced a contrary effect-To allow individuals to act without restraint, is, in general, the safest course, as is proved by experiment.-Shew me the place where a fystem of restraint prevails, and I will fhew you people who are poor, and proprietors who derive little advantage from their property. |