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NUMBER XLIV.

PARISH OF TIBBERMUIR.

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

By the Rev. Mr JOHN INGLIS, Minifter.

A

Name,

MONG ftrangers, and in the common almanacks of

the country, the name of this parish is Tippermuir ; but the orthography adopted in the title, which is universally in ufe among the inhabitants, is abundantly juftified by ancient writings. and the probable etymology of the name. In a charter granted to the monaftery of Scone, in the reign of William the Lion, it is written with the Latin termination Tibbirmora; and in Fordun's Hiftory of Scotland, it is Tybirmore: Conformably to this ancient orthography, the name is understood to be compounded of two Gaelic words, tuber and more, which fignify a large well, referring probably to a plentiful spring of water immediately adjoining to the church-yard.

Extent, Situation, and Surface.-The parish is, from eaft to west, about 6 miles long; and its breadth varies from one to three miles. It is bounded on the eaft by the parish of Perth ;

See the chartulary of Scone in the Advocate's Library.

on

on the north, the river Almond feparates it from the parifl of Redgorton, and a brook called the Pow, from that of Methven; on the weft, it is bounded by the par fh of Gafk, and on the fouth, by thofe of Forteviot and Aberdalg. The furface, without being hilly, is confiderably diverfified. Towards the weft, it exhibits a gentle flope from fouth to north, terminating in a narrow track of level ground; and towards the east, the greater part of the fields being fomewhat raised above the level of the Almond, communicate, by a fleep defcent, with a delightful plain along the banks of the river.

Climate and Difeafes.-The air, though rather moist, is not accounted unhealthy; and it deferves particular notice, that here, as well as in the neighbouring parithes, the ague, which, from time immemorial, had been the most common difeafe of the country, has, within thefe 20 years, complete. ly disappeared, without any natural caufe, of fufficient importance, being hitherto affigned for it.

Acres, Soil, Proprietors, and Cultivation.-The parish contains about 4670 Scotch acres; of thefe 185 are under wood; 96 are part of an extenfive mofs, which furnishes the furrounding inhabitants with peats for fuel; 100 more are in the ftate of uncultivated heath; and the remainder, about 4289, are all arable ground.

The cultivated land contains feveral varieties of foil. Towards the caft, upon the banks of the Almond, it is a fandy loam; near to the town of Perth, fomewhat of a clayey confiftence; and upon the higher grounds, more light and thin, with a gravelly bottom. Towards the weft, the bottom is rather cold, and generally tilly, which occafions many of the fields to be wet; but the furface foil is. notwithstanding, tolerably fertile; and though, in fome places, it partakes a

little of the nature of mofs, the greater part may be claffed under one or other of the different kinds of loam.

The whole parish, excepting about 500 acres, is the property of the Duke of Athol and the Earl of Kinnoull; and the land is cultivated by about 60 farmers, great and fmall, in a thriving condition. In no place, perhaps, are the late rapid improvements in agriculture more remarkably examplified than in this particular parish. About 30 years ago, it was distinguished by its poverty; at prefent, its furface exhibits to the eye a rich and fertile profpect, and the increased wealth of the inhabitants very properly appears in their improved manner of living. It is also pleasant to remark, that the spirit for agricultural improvement ftill appears to keep pace with,' if it does not even anticipate, the farmer's acquifition of wealth. In one particular view, indeed, the character of the farmer's mind has undergone a moft important and happy change: Formerly, he was fo obftinately prejudiced in favour of the practice of his fathers. that he could not liften, without a sneer, to any fuggeftion relative to new improvements; now his prejudices are so completely removed, that he is eager to know and understand whatever improvements others are attempting, and even to adopt fuch as appear to be reasonable, though at first upon that small fcale which prudence undoubtedly dictates. What better fubject could the Agricultural Society defire to cultivate, than a farmer's mind in this particular state *!

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While the prefent proprietors vie with one another, in promoting this laudable spirit, it is impoffible not to remember the late Earl of Kinnoull, as the father of agricultural improvement, in that extensive district of the parish, which, from its local fituation, and other circumftances, appeared leaft fufceptible of fuch melioration. By a liberal treatment of his

tenants;

The principal crops are oats, barley or bear, and clover with rye-grafs. Wheat alfo, though not hitherto univerfally cultivated, is becoming every year more common. A prejudice was long entertained against fowing wheat upon fields that are naturally wet, from an idea that fuch a foil, when fwelled with the winter rains, would be apt to caft out the roots of the young plants; but experience has clearly shewn that this objection, however fpecious in theory, is not entitled to much practical regard ;-where early fowing has been attended to, the wetnefs of the foil has feldom, if ever, prov ed fatal to the crop of wheat. Pease and beans having been found precarious crops, are rather lefs cultivated than they were fome time ago. Turnips, though not altogether neglected, are neither a general crop, nor raised in great quantities. Where the fields are wet, the farmer is afraid of poaching the foil, in carting them off during the winter; befides, the confumption of the butcher market of Perth is by no means equal to the fupply of fat cattle which the wide and rich country around is capable of affording; and many farmers, who might otherwife have large fields of turnips, are thereby induced to content themselves with fuch a quantity as they find to be ufeful in rearing their young stock. The quantity of potatoes is inconfiderable, being cultivated chiefly for family ufe. Flax is by no means a crop high in the farmer's estimation; befides the trouble attending it, it

has

tenants;-by granting them improving leafes upon moderate terms;-by lodging them in more comfortable houses than had been formerly allowed to people of their condition;-by perfonal attentions, in which he did not fail to diftinguish the most deferving; by manifefting, equally in his words and actions, the intérelt he felt in their profperity ;-he infused into them a fpirit fuperior to their former condition, gradually enlarged their views, raised, in fome feufe, their rank in fociety, and thus prepared them to devife and execute fuch plans of improvement as man, in a more depreffed fituation, will never attempt.

has the peculiar disadvantage of adding nothing to the dunghill, which muft undoubtedly be an important objection with farmers who purchale dung in the town of Perth, at the rate of 3 s. or 4 for the cart load, and afterwards carry it in fome inftances five or fix miles *.

Since the late rapid introduction of fallow, wheat, clover, &c. in this parish, there has not been fufficient time for any particular rotation of crops obtaining fuch a decided prefe rence, as to be univerfally adopted; but the following is the rotation most likely to prevail:-1, year, fallow;—2d, wheat, with the whole dung of the farm, and alfo lime occafionally; -3d, peafe, or clover and rye-grafs, and perhaps a few turnips, which are found to answer tolerably well without dung; -4th, barley or bear;-5th, clover and rye-grafs ;-6th, oats t..

The implements of husbandry have been gradually improving for many years. The old Scotch plough, indeed, long maintained its ground in oppofition to a variety of others, which were fucceffively tried and abandoned; but an English plough, with a mould-board of caft metal, which was

lately

Lime is the only other manure used in the parifh, and is procured at a reasonable rate, at the port of Perth.

+ One objection, indeed, feems already to occur against this mode of management, and may hereafter have influence. Repeated fallows, that admit of no crop for the feason, are not perhaps abfolutely neceffary for the mere purpose of keeping the land clean, provided that green crops, and particularly drill crops, be judiciously introduced; and though it should even be found impotible, upon fome foils, to raife a good crop of wheat without a previous fallow, it may admit of a question, whether a crop of barley in place of the wheat, together with a green crop in place of the fallow, might not be more valuable than the crop of wheat that would be thereby fuperfeded; and whether the land might not alfo remain in equally good, if not better condition.

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