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NUMBER XXXVI.

PARISH OF LETHENDY..

(COUNTY OF PERTH.-SYNOD OF PERTH AND STIRLING. PRESBYTERY OF DUNKELD.)

By Mr LAURENCE BUTTER, Minister. ›

Situation and Extent.

HE parish of Lethendy is fituated in the county of

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Perth, within the bounds of the fynod of Perth and Stirling, and prefbytery of Dunkeld. Its extent, in a direct line from east to weft, is five miles; its greatest breadth from fouth to north, a mile and an half. It is bounded on the caft by the Burn of Lunan, which divides it from the parish of Blairgowrie, on the fouth by Caputh, and on the west and north by Clunie, parishes. From the eastern extremity the ground rifes gently weftward the whole length of the parish, except on the weft point, where it falls fuddenly for about half a mile. The river Tay formerly washed the south weft fide of this parish. It has now retired fouthward to the distance of nearly two miles, by cuts made at different periods, leaving behind it, in feveral places, vifible traces of its former course.

Soil and Climate.-The weft half of the parish is a black mould inclining to a reddish clay, excepting some small cor ners, exceedingly rich, and well adapted to all kinds of crops. VOL. XVII.

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Towards the eaft, the foil becomes blacker, more wet, and lefs productive. From the fouthern exposure of the parish, the climate is perhaps a little milder than that of the parishes immediately adjoining, The difference, however, is not ma« terial. Harvest commences ufually in the beginning of September, and is over by the middle of October.

State of Agriculture.-Thirty years ago, the best lands in the parifh were under fheep pafture, and from a bad breed, and probably unskilful management, yielded but a poor pit tance to the proprietor, and but a very scanty fubfiftence to the tenant. Since that period, fheep have been banished entirely; the use of marl has been adopted; the waste lands have been cultivated; the rental of the parish trebled; the condition of the tenants meliorated; and the face of the country entirely changed. But rapid as this improvement® has been, it was much longer of having reached its prefent state, than a judicious treatment of the foil would have brought it. This obstruction is principally to be ascribed, to a miftake respecting the qualities of marl; and an error in the system of cropping. Experience has now proved, that there is no nutritive quality in marl, that it acts only as a ftimulus to the foil, which, if not enriched with different manure, it foon exhaufts, and reduces to a state of absolute fterility. Want of attention to this circumftance, confiderably retarded the improvements in agriculture in this, as well as in many other parts of the country. The lands, when first marled, produced abundantly for several years without any other manure; and, while they continued to do fo, were kept in a state of conftant tillage, and oats frequently fown in perpetual fucceffion. From this improper management, the nutritious part of the foil was exhaufted, and required a reft of

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many years, in order to recruit its prolific powers. Even this ceffation from tillage was not followed with any material advantage. Artificial graffes were yet unknown; and the ground, thus reduced, derived but little nourishment from the natural and scanty productions of the foil. These miftakes, however, have been discovered, and their effects have now, in a good measure, ceased. The neceffity of following marl with dung is admitted on all hands, and the introduction of artificial graffes into the fyftem of cropping univerfally adopted.

But though this practice has been followed with very beneficial confequences, there is yet much room for further improvement. Perhaps the rotation of crops is not the best that might be devised, and the proportion of green crop to that of grain is ftill too fmall. No uniform rotation is adopted in the parish, nor is it always invariable on the fame farm. Where any thing like a fyftem is pursued, the following is the most general: Oats, barley, oats, green crop, or fallow; oats, barley with grafs feeds. Probably oats, green crop, barley with grafs feeds, would be a better rotation. The green crop in this parish confifts of potatoes, turnips, peafe, lint, nearly in equal proportions. There has been no wheat fown in this parifh till within thefe few years, nor is it yet cultivated to any extent, though the foil is by no means unfavourable to it. This is partly owing to the influence of cuftom, and the size of the farms. A great part of the parish is divided into small farms of about fix, eight, or ten acres. These are generally occupied by tradesmen, whofe ideas are not fufficiently enlarged for following the most approved modes of husbandry, and who confider their farms rather as a matter of convenience, than of profit. But if this circumftance is lefs favourable to agricultural improvements;

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the lofs is perhaps more than balanced by its beneficial influ ence upon population and morals. By dividing their time betwixt the labours of the field, and their occupations within doors, they are vigorous and healthy, their offspring accordingly are numerous and robuft; they grow up in the habits of temperance and induftry, and are ftrangers to those courfes of diffipation and vice, to which the youth in great towns are ever expofed, and often fall a facrifice.

Produce. This parish produces, annually, 1614 bolls of oats, 1100 bolls of barley, 100 bolls of wheat, 100 bolls of peafe, Linlithgow measure, 250 ftone of lint, Amsterdam; and there are, befides, from 40 to 50 acres under potatoe and turnip crops. The returns from the feed in oats and barley, are from 5 to 8, in wheat from 10 to 12. The produce, in lint is from 20 to 25 ftone per acre, and in potatoes from 401 to 60 bolls.

Woodlands.-There are in this parish from 50 to 60 acres of natural wood, confifting chiefly of oak, birch, and hazle, which, from its fituation on the highest ground of the diftrict, and being furrounded with rich corn fields, both varies. and beautifies the scene. It is cut generally once in 20 years, and is valuable, chiefly on account of the bark. There is, befides this, a confiderable quantity of afh around the farm houfes, fufficient, perhaps, for fupplying the parish with the implements of husbandry.

Live Stock,-Horses.-There are in this parish 104 horfes. Since the introduction of two horfe ploughs, the breed has been confiderably improved. They are now of a middle fize, and fell at from 12 1. to 18 1. each. A few more are reared

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in the parish than are neceffary for the purposes of agricul

ture.

Black Cattle. The number of black cattle is 308. They are rather of a small size, and are generally fold when between two and three years old, at from 3 1. to 5 l. each. The farmers depend, in fome measure, on the fale of their fupernumerary horfes and cattle for the payment of their rents.

Rental. The lands are valued in the cefs books of the county at 12601. 12's. Scotch. The real rent is 9501. Sterling.

Population. The number of inhabitants in this parish, including all ages, is 367. The average number of births annually is 12. No register of deaths has been kept. The population in 1755 was 346 fouls; fo that there is a small increase.

Character of the People. They are simple in their manners, frugal, induftrious, and contented with their fituation. Their religious ideas are fomewhat confined, but their morals are unimpeachable. According to my information, nothing has occurred, in the memory of man, which has been the subject of a criminal profecution. And, if their religious knowledge is not very extensive, they are still lefs verfant in political creeds. The fpeculations of this nature, which have lately fo much engaged the attention of mankind, and which have been difcuffed by all parties with fo great warmth and uncharitableness, are here treated with much indifference. They indeed hear, and talk of reforms, and revolutions, and plots, and confpiracies, and armed affociations, but without being the leaft alarmed, and without feeling themselves dif

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