NUMBER XII. PARISH OF LILLIES-LEAF. (COUNTY OF ROXBURGH-PRESBYTERY OF SELKIRK -SYNOD OF MERSE AND TIVIOTDALE). By the Rev. Mr WILLIAM CAMPBELL, Minister. Name, Extent, and River. HE origin of the name is uncertain. It has been THE wrote Lillies-life and Lillies-cliffe.-It rifes from the eaft, where the breadth is only half a mile, with a gradual ascent to the weft, where it is a mile broad from north to fouth. It is broadeft at the middle, being, upon a medium, 2 miles and one fixth. It is five miles and a half in length, and contains between 7000 and 8000 acres. At the head of the parish, the river Ale, remarkable for the quality of its trouts, divides it for a mile, and then becomes the boundary to the north and east. Soil, Farm Rents, Cultivation, and Produce.-The foil varies, being partly clay, rich loam, and partly gravelly light fand. The crofts adjoining the village let at 35 s. and 40 s. per acre. The rents in general, for several years paft, have been rifing, and are ftill on the increase, owing, in a great measure, to the improvements and mode of management. The outfield ground is light, part dry, and part swampy. The English plough, after the model of Small of Rofline, iş is used in general. wheat as formerly. Farmers are not fo fond of fowing The culture of turnips is judged of more confequence, and keeps the land in good heart. A -rotation of crops, as follows, has been adopted; fallow, turnips, oats, pease, barley with grass feeds, hay, pasture for 2 years, oats, and then a fallow. Upon lighter ground, if, crop oats; 2dly, Turnips, peafe, or potatoes, 3dly, Barley; 4thly, Hay; then oats, &c. as before. After this rotation, there is no need of a fallow.-The diftance from lime is 25 miles. -There is a marl mofs at the east end of the parish, and another at the weft.-The manure in both is of an excellent quality. Its effects are more difcernible on grafs, than on land in tillage. There are other two moffes in the neighbourhood, at 4 miles diftance, from which confiderable quantities of marl are brought. The old maxim, « The fodder is beft which carries corn on its top," is entirely exploded. Sir John Buchanan Riddell, proprietor of a great part of the parish, and who propofes ftaying here, at least occafionally, is rapidly carrying on improvements. He has marl on his eftate, yet the expence must be confiderable. It is not to be doubted but they will turn out to good account, and his plantations add to the beauty of the place. Swift obferves, "whoever could make two ears of corn, or two "blades of grass to grow, upon a spot of ground where only "one grew before, would deferve better of mankind, and "do more effential fervice to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together." Oxen are not used in labouring *In place of plowing matches, which fometimes are attended with a confiderable degree of confufion, and fome difagreeable confequences among the fervants, might it not answer better, if, for instance, the proprietors of ten ploughs were to collect 50s. the land to be marled before fowing, and the whole work during the feafon reviewed; a premium of 11. 5 s. to the beft upon the whole, labouring as formerly. The muir land is kept for pastu rage. Prices of Provifions and Labour.Provifions are high priced. Butcher meat is often fold at a dearer rate than in Edinburgh; butter at 10 d. per lib. (24 oz.) a pair of fowls at 1 s. 8 d. formerly only 1 s.; cheese 6 d. per lib. formerly 3d.; and other articles in proportion. The manner of living is greatly changed, being much more expenfive; yet the farmers are in better circumftances, and much better lodged than they were 30 years ago. The wages of a man fervant are from 61. to 81. Sterling; and thofe of a maid fervant from 31. 4 s. to 31, 15 s. per annum. A day-labourer gets 10 d. with his meat, or is. 4 d. without it; a taylor, 8 d. with, or 1 s. without it; a wright, 1 s. 6d. ; a mafon, 1 s. 6 d. ; a man for weeding potatoes or turnips, 8 d. In harvest, a man gets 1 s. 4 d. a woman, 1 s. 2 d. For 20 years past, work of every kind has risen in expence one third. It is more than probable the rise will still be higher. The fchool fees alone are moderate. Some farmers have their corns threshed for 4 d. per boll, with maintainance; a ditch. 3 feet deep dug, with the thorns fet, at 8 d. per rood, and á double ditch at 1 s. 4 d.. Roads, Fuel, Difeafes, &c.—The roads are in a bad state, but will be put in good repair, as money for the ftatute la bour is to be exacted, as far as law allows. One great inconvenience the people labours under, is the distance from coals, which is not less than 30 and 32 miles. Some peats may be procured here, but fo high priced, that coals at 15 s. the 12 whole, 15 s. to the fecond, and 10s. to the third. The ploughmen would thus be attentive from firft to laft, and juftice would be done the master, cwt. are by far the cheapest. In the article of firing, the inhabitants must be at a greater expence than any parish in the fouth of Scotland. Agues, 20 years ago, were very fre. quent in the village, the road being almoft impaffable on account of putrid ftagnated water. This being removed, and the road formed and finished, aguish complaints have almost totally disappeared. It is unfortunate that this corner fhould be fo bare of trees, there being plenty of ground well adapted for large plantations, particularly of firs. The weedings would be useful as fuel; the body of the tree profitable, in a parish so remote from the fea coaft; and the ground enriched by the leaves. Population. It is generally believed, that the population is greatly diminished, there being veftiges of confiderable villages, where now there ftand only one or two houfes. Since the year 1760, 9 farms have been added to fuch as lay adjacent; and though the rent of each was not very confiderable, yet the honeft tackfman cleared with the proprietor, and brought up and educated his children, who proved ufeful members of fociety. But whatever diminution may have lately taken place in the population of the parish, from thefe and fimilar caufes, it is certain, that there has been an increase upon the whole, within thefe 40 years, as appears from the following comparative statement: STATISTICAL TABLE OF THE PARISH OF LILLIES-LEAF. Number of males in the parish, at Whitsunday 1793 Total number of fouls Ditto in 1755, as returned to Dr Webster 342 288 თვი 521 |