ufual increase. The 3d year, every good farmer allows to each acre about 50 cart loads of dung, or fea-weed, fows on it 4 or 5 bushels of bear, with 2 of rye-grafs, and 12 or 14 lbs. of red and white clover.

The ordinary produce of bear, upon land fo treated, is from 10 to 14 feeds. The 4th year concludes the process with a hay crop, the acre commonly yielding between 200 and 300 ftones. The land is then turned into pasture, for 6 years at leaft; and, when opened again, is generally dunged on the first plowing, and the fame order of cropping observed as before. The oats, when properly cleaned, weigh about 38 lbs. and the bear 48 lbs. a bufhel.

Of the former, Mochrum annually exports about 6,000, and of the latter 10,800 bushels.-The oats at 1 s. 10 d. and the bear at 2 s. 9 d.

This grain is chiefly carried to the markets of Liverpool and Whithaven, and fometimes a little of it is taken to Greenock. Some two-rowed barley and wheat are raised; but of these the quantities are so small, as scarcely to deserve notice. It is a common obfervation here, that Galloway is not a wheat country, which is certainly true; but owing, perhaps, more to this than any other caufe, that it is very little attended to, or fown.

The harvest usually begins about the middle of August, and is finished about the end of September.

Fallowing the foil is too feldom practised, and turnips are fo rare a fight, that no fooner do they make their appearance in a field, than the neighbouring boys fet upon them, like apples in an orchard, and eat or carry them away.

Servants wages.The ordinary wages given to a man fervant are from 4 1. to 5 l. in the half year, the term for which they are all engaged, and to a woman fervant from 30 s. to

21. for the fame period. Every confiderable farmer keeps also at least one cottar or yearly man with his family, to whom he gives a house and yard, meal and potatoes, or other emoluments, to the amount of 15 l. or 20 1. Of this laft defcription, the greater part are Irishmen, efcaped from their country and their loom, and are commonly good hands with a fpade or flail, but not dexterous in the management of horses at the cart, or the plough!

The horses, of which there are about 280 in the parish, are mostly all of the draught kind, or are used for that purpofe, and are partly bred here, and partly imported from Ireland. About 15 and 16 hands is their usual height, and as many pounds their price. Unless in very stiff, or uncultivated lands, feldom more than two are put to a plough, and never more than one to a cart. The use of tracers, as they are called, ftill fo prevalent in many parts of Galloway, is totally exploded in Mochrum, because, it is believed, that two horses, put each to a cart, will do at least one third more work, and with greater ease, than when yoked together in one. It is worthy of notice, that 20 years ago, there was only one cart in the parifh belonging to a tenant, whereas there are now 170 of that defcription.

The Scotch plough, improved, or the chain one, are chiefly used. The latter is preferred where the land is not ftony, being eafier drawn. The ploughman always drives the horses for himself, when not more than two, and sometimes even three, when yoked abreaft. The farmers begin to plow in November, and finish by the end of February, when the feeds are fown, which are commonly all in the ground in the courfe of five weeks after, if the season has been favourable.

The horfes are generally fed with ftraw, and two feeds of oats a-day, when they plow; and with rye-grafs, and three feeds, when they harrow the ground.

Black

The

Black Cattle.-The black cattle are not large, but very handsome, as those bred in Galloway in general are. whole number in the parish may be about 1500. Every farmer rears as many as he can, and no more thinks of fatting and killing a calf, than would an ancient inhabitant of Egypt.

The cattle are ufually fold, at two years of age, for 5 1, 51, a-head, to graziers or jobbers, and are mostly all, fooner or later, driven to the English markets.

As the chief quality regarded in a cow is to be a good breeder, fo no great attention is paid to milk, or manufacturing of it into butter and cheese; yet of these articles enough are made for the use of the inhabitants.

.

Some of the farmers, however, from a laudable defire of improving in this respect, have more than once introduced here the famous cows of Kyle. But, whether it was owing to a difference of pafture, of hard feeding, or of both, these were foon found to milk no better than the native breed; and, being less esteemed in other refpects, especially on account of their being horned, very few of them are now to be seen. When the cows get old, they are fold lean for between 3 1. and 41. except what are retained for the use of the parishioners; and thefe, when fatted, commonly weigh from 25 to 30 ftones.

Sheep. This parish has long been famous for excellent wool, on account of its ftill retaining fome of the ancient breed of the Galloway fheep. Of these sheep, the most diftinguishing marks are, orange coloured face and legs, fhort thick wool, and very fmall fize. When at full growth, and tolerably fat, the wedder would not exceed 30, nor the ewe 27 lib.; and it would require 18 or 20 of their fleeces to make a stone of 26 lib,

Very few, however, of this truly primitive breed, it is fuppofed, now remain; they have been either picked out, and fold off in quantities to thofe who were pursuing improvements in wool, or contaminated with the various other kinds of sheep in the neighbourhood.

But, though thus evidently degenerating, the Mochrum wool (quantity and quality) is ftill efteemed the best in the county, and is generally fold from 12 s. to 14 s. a stone,, when it is carried to the manufactories of Kilmarnock and Glasgow.

A few years ago, Lord Daer and Admiral Stewart purchafed here fome of the native ewes, in order to try a breed between them and Spanish, Shetland, and other rams; but both thefe public fpirited noblemen were unfortunately cut off by death, while engaged in this and many other patriotic experiments for the improvement of their country.

The number of fheep is confiderably diminished fince the late improvements here. The whole stock, at prefent, is not more than 5000. Being very hurtful to young thorn hedges, they are, with great propriety, forbidden to be kept whereever the fields are inclosed with thefe. As they are, therefore, moftly banished to the moor-lands, they are neither large nor fat; but, when brought from thence, and fed on good pafture for a year, they improve greatly, and are accounted the very best of mutton. On their ordinary foil, the wedders are fold, when 4 years of age, at 10s. a head, and are mostly driven to Ayr or Glafgow; and the ewes, as they become old, are killed for home confumption.

Swine.-Almost every farmer keeps 2 or 3 pigs, and every householder one; fo that there is an abundance, if not an over abundance, of these animals. They are chiefly fed on potatoes and the offal of the kitchen, and fold to English butchers, when a year old, at 30 s. and 40s. 4 C

VOL. XVII.

Curiofities.

Curiofities.-Near by the church, which is fituated about a mile right into the parish from Portwilliam, there is a pretty large earthen mound, quite entire, with a deep ditch or foffe round it.

On the eastern extremity of the fea coaft, at the fummit of a steep bank, there are very diftinct remains of an AngloSaxon camp. And, within two miles of the western extremity, also hard by the fhore, ftand the ruins of a small manfe and church, called St Finian's Chapel, probably from the famous Saint of that name.

In the middle of the moor-land appears an old tower or caftle, whose walls are very strong, and almost entire; and, being nearly furrounded by lakes, when viewed at a distance. it has a moft curious and picturesque appearance, resembling much a large fhip at fea.

It is called the old Place of Mochrum; and formerly belonged, together with a confiderable eftate contiguous to it, to an ancient family, of the name of Dunbar, who refided in it, were created Knights of Mochrum about a century ago, and ftill enjoy that title. But the caftle and the property have now, for upwards of 60 years, been in poffeffion of the Earl of Dumfries.

Plantations. On these lands the noble Earl has lately begun to plant, in convenient places, confiderable clumps of trees, which being at a good distance, and well sheltered from the fea, there is reafon to hope they may do well; a circumftance much to be wifhed, as they would be both. highly ornamental and ufeful in that part of the parish.

In Mcchrum, or in no other part of Galloway, fituated near, and exposed to the western ocean, do trees of any kind feem to thrive. Owing to this caufe alone, Sir William Maxwell's extenfive plantations, which have had every other

advantage