lowing is little known, grafs being valuable, and the fields abundantly clean, fince the corns were dreffed with fans a practice equally profitable and univerfal. From the inequality of the furface of the ground, the watering of land, by the numerous wells and rivulets, is eafy; but of late the practice is not much followed, where other manures can eafily be had, as it is believed to render the foil thin and gra velly, and to exhauft it so, that hardly any other improvement is an effectual restorative -Of commons we have not one foot. Ring fences (ftone dykes) around every farm, have been erected long ago, and even fub-divifions; but the latter are quite too large, especially for the turnip husbandry. Indeed of late, potatoes, which are exported in great quantities to England, to Glasgow, &c. have fuperfeded almoft every other fallow or green crop. The price is from I s. to 1 s. 6d. per cwt. as the feafon is plenteous.-The implements of agriculture are in every respect the fame with thofe in the north of England; and as the intercourfe with White * To the credit of this country, this fimple and most useful machine was, a few years ago, brought to perfection, by two natives of this neighbourhood. Without this aid, farmers might still have been obliged to place their barns in the most aukward and inconvenient fituation, from the view of obtaining wind for winnowing. Even then the corn often rotted in the barn; and fields remained unfown, because the air was calm, or the wind unfuitable, or accompanied with rain or fnow. Servants are now fet to winnow the corns, in the fore part of the winter night, when they were usually ftraggling, or unprofitably employed. Their health is no longer expofed in this part of their duty; and, in a word, the date of the corn trade, in this country, feems to coincide with the period when the fan was introduced. It is with no bad intention, that we mention the names of the inventors, to whom the world has been more indebted than to thoufands of renowned empyrics in politics, law, divinity, phyfic, &c. The faid ingenious mechanics were Mr MUIR, joiner in Dumfries, and Mr KINGHORN, miller of the town's mills, both dead feveral years ago. Whitehaven, and the other towns on the oppofite fide of the Solway Frith, is daily, it is believed the utenfils of husbandry are just as well made here as any where elfe, and better accommodated to the state and fituation of the ground, than could be done by a stranger tradefman. No oxen are used for draught, probably owing to the temptation people have of felling thofe home-bred horfes, that are good, to the Englih and to jockeys in general. The breeding of black cattle, too, is followed by almoft every farmer, as far as the nature of things will permit. Prices of Labour, Improvements, &c.-The wages of fervants are, for let men, as they are called, or cottagers, about 141. per annum ; but the articles of maintenance furnished are, perhaps, eftinated in Galloway, 21. or 3 1. a year lower than in Lothian, and fome other counties of Scotland.-Labourers, by the day, get from 1 s. 2 d. to 1 s. 4 d.-Farm houfes are generally very good, as well as offices. In a word, the continual repair of drovers, cattle-dealers, and even [abourers, to England, and the fpirit of improvement that has prevailed in this country for thefe 20 years paft, has made the farming of thefe parts nearly equal to what it is in the fouthern part of the ifland, in all ordinary matters, and due regard being had to the means of the inhabitants of the different countries. As a teft of the happy confequences, 4 or of the beft farms in Buittle, which, about the year 1747, were rented at 200 1. Scotch, or 400 merks each, now pay, (or would pay if cut of leafe), 230l. a piece, whilft the tenants would live incomparably better than their predeceffors. One prejudice feems much to obftruct the fuccefs of the farmer in this part of the world-it is that of fowing too late. The fields, where the corns fhaken by violent winds, if early loughed, have been known to yield a refpectable crop in the the following season, in spite of the rigours of winter; and though conftant experience declares, that the oats, fown in the beginning of February, afford the most profitable return, ftill the fowing of that grain is delayed till the middle of March; nor is the feed barley committed to the ground fooner than the middle or the latter end of April. The harvest, as might be expected, correfponds with the feed time. Seldom does it begin before the middle of September, and it is often later, as the foil and exposure of the ground, or as the nature of the feafon, may decide. 6 Leafes. In farming, as in moft other concerns, a man's exertions depend very much on the prudence of those principles, in which his endeavours originate. In Galloway, and perhaps elsewhere, one maxim feems for ages to have fettered the hands of industry. The farmer reafoned thus with himself: My forefathers and I have had this prefent poffeffion, in which I am now fettled, by fucceffive leafes of 7 years, or lefs, for ages. The rent has been ftill the fame; • but to keep it from rifing, we have not only omitted every improvement, but, in many instances, we have, to our own detriment, been obliged to labour for the depreciation of the fubject. This is the confumate prudence of the farmer; and departing from this maxim, every farmer may expect to find his ruin, either in the avarice of his laird, or in the envy of his neighbour; as the latter will offer, and the former chearfully receive, whatever any parcel of ground can afford, let it be improved at whofe coft, or by whofe induftry, it may.'. Two methods of refuting this dangerous maxim feem to have been adopted in England. The one is, by leafing the ground from year to year, and ftipulating, annually, what improvement is to be made, and whether at the coaft of the landlord or tenant. The mode of farming is thus thus too fixed. The other is, that of granting leafes for lives, or for a great number of years, upon fines, &c. fo that the intereft of the tenant in his poffeffion becomes greater than that of the proprietor. In this part of the world, a medium has been fought. Few leafes are granted for less than 19 years; and it is now, indeed, not fo much the queftion with a tenant, whether his industry will redound ultimately to the benefit of his landlord, or of a fucceeding tenant, as whether it will pay him, (the prefent poffeffor) in conformity to his skill and outlay. If the farm (now rea• fons the latter) is worth 10l. a year more, at the end of my leafe, I may juft as well give that for it, as for any other of equal value. After all, it is probable that longer leases than those of 19 years would be favourable to permanent improvements, fuch as hedges, &c. and it must be owned, that as the lease draws near a close, the tenant is often found comporting himself, as if under a conviction that he inhabi ted hoftile ground. To fay the truth, however, that narrowness of mind, or ariftocratical pride, which adjusted every matter of leafe, to the vifible purpose of keeping tenants in abject dependance upon their landlords, has of late been put very much to the blush. Through all Galloway, as well as in Buittle parish, a prodigious alteration took place in landed property, through the fatal American war, and the fcarce lefs deplorable concern of the Douglas and Heron Bank. Most of the estates brought to fale in this county, were purchased by natives of it-men acquainted with the world, and in affluent circumftances. These knew better things than to ruin themselves with Baillie-work, to put their importance on the number of kain hens paid them by ragged cottagers; or to recommend their own affability, by encou • What are called Boon days in England. encouraging idlenefs and intoxication, in ale-house conventions. The permanent part of the improvements, neceffary on their eftates, they took upon themselves ;-their tenants were prudently chofen; the leafes they gave were of confiderable length; and, to give tenants more confidence and fpirit, it is ftipulated with feveral, that they shall be allowed to refign, on a year's warning, if times are diftreffing, provided they have not committed wafte, or done confiderable detriment upon their respective farms. Population. Before faying more of other concerns, it may be fit to mention the population of the parish, and fome matters connected with it.-To fave words, and communicate information as readily as poffible, recourse is had to figures. STATISTICAL TABLE OF THE PARISH OF BUITTLE, FOR 1793. Population in 1755, as returned to Dr Webster, 899 |