nected with it. This pafture may be fometimes more and fometimes lefs; but taking the average proportion of the county (of 1-13th being arable), it will allow from 400 to 600, or at an average 500 acres to à farm. In moft parts this much may be managed by the farmer and his family: or, if he should find it neceffary to hire the one man whom he needs, yet, as he must be with him almost always himself, he can turn his service to more account than the master of many servants, who does not share in the labour. When any family is large enough to manage more, every farm has abundance of wafte or improveable land to keep them fufficiently occupied. A small poffeffion, by fuperior cultivation, may be more advantageous to the tenant than a larger one which could not be fo well cultivated, and will certainly tend more to the improvement of the landlord's property.

Large farms, wherever they are held by a number of tenants in run-rig (which is nearly the fame as in common), ought to be divided into separate poffeffions, without which the farms can neither be improved, nor the tenants profper *. The beneficial effects of dividing such farms, and removing the houses of each tenant to the centre of his own poffeffion, have been found fo great on the Duke of Argyle's estate in Kintyre, that fome others are now following His Grace's example. When each has his own lot, the lands are better improved, and. the tenants in eafier circumftances. Formerly none would work till all were assembled: but now every man is late and early at his work, and performs twice as much as when the work was in common,

In no part of the county are poffeffions more uniformly moderate than in the parish of Southend, where each tenant has

In the troublesome times of old it might be neceflary to have the farms farge, and all the dwellings fet down together, for the purpose of uniting more eafily for felf-defence.

commonly less than a mark-land* cut out for himself. In confequence of this, more wafte ground has been of late years improved in this parish than in any other in the county. The yellow corn now waves on the region lately occupied by the heath and mofs.

The advocates for large farms are fond of maintaining, that fmall tenants were ftarving on those farms on which great tenants have made rich. But this is owing to the change of times, and not to the change of fyftem. In fuch times as we have had, fmall as well as great tenants could not fail to thrive, and have thriven where, they had equal advantages; though neither the one nor the other could thrive, if the former times had still continued. Moderate as the poffeffions are in the parish juft now mentioned, the tenants here prospered, in proportion to their advantages, as much perhaps as any in the county. As evidence of this, it may be mentioned, that about eight-and-twenty of them, who lately formed themselvcs into a congregation of relief, have built a neat church, and are about to build a manfe and to employ a pastor; from which they would seem at the least to be much at their ease.

In every district a few farms, in centrical fituations, convenient for fuel, and capable of great improvement, fhould be let out, or rather feued, for villages, in which tradesmen

* The old divifion of land in this county, and that by which public burdens were regulated before the valuation took place, was by mark-lands, of which some farms contained more, and fome fewer, according to their value or extent. The divifion appears to have been done in general with great judgment, the relative value of these mark-lands being in most places pretty equal. It is probable, however, that when this divifion took place, much regard was had to the quantity of arable land which every farm then contained. By a decree of the Exchequer (March 11. 1585), a 40 fhilling (or 3 markland) of old extent (or 8 oxgangs) should contain 104 acres. Confequently i mark-land should be 33 1-3d. The denomination of mark-lands still holds here in common use of speech; and, in general, I mark-land may give full employ to 1 plough and 1 family in the more arable parts of the county.

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and labourers might be accommodated with small poffeffions. This would draw more rent from fuch farms than they could poffibly yield in any other way, and help to raise the value of other lands in their neighbourhood. It would attach useful and industrious people to the foil, by giving them a property and existence in the country; and be the means of introducing trade, commerce, and manufactures. These have been the uniform confequences of feuing grounds, and encouraging villages on judicious and liberal plans throughout the kingdom *.

Such as may be averse to feuing, or forming villages, would still find their interest in giving small poffeffions, in whatever way. Small poffeffions, being within the reach of many, will produce many competitors; and the most barren fpot, by the constant labour of the many, will be soon improved, and raised in its value. If fome large farms, here

*The following inftance is related out of many, as being one of the least promifing, and yet answered well. "Mr. Cumine of Auchry planned a regular village upon the moorish part of a farm, which, in whole, yielded only 11l. a-year. He fixed 75 feus upon it, occupied by a set of industrious, honest, and active people, who, instead of 111., the original rent, produced " him annually from 120l. to 150l. He introduced the fpinning or weaving « of linen yarn, and the consequences continue." Statistical Account, Vol. VI. p. 129.

Thus might the man who looks no farther than his own interest, find his greatest profit in accommodating a great number of his fellow creatures, and putting them in the way of being comfortably lodged, fed, and clothed. A noble and generous mind will have a satisfaction of a higher nature, in making numbers happy; and the man of public spirit will feel a pleasure in confidering fuch villages as the most likely means of furnishing hands for manufacturing the wool, improving the land, and enriching the country.

The Duke of Argyle has lately taken measures for erecting a village at Monirua, in the parish of Southend. His Grace gives the villagers a lease of three nineteen years. During the first 19 they pay only the rent at which the ground let during the last leafe; which, at the end of this term, and alfo at the end of the second 19, is a little augmented, as the improved state of the ground will easily bear fuch augmentation.

and there, were thus divided among a number of industrious families, wastes would be cultivated, rents augmented, and population promoted. Small poffeffions are abfolutely neceffary for the encouragement of population; without which, no country can profper. All refts on this; for, without abundance of labourers, no important improvement can ever be effected.

It is with great difficulty that a country, once depopulated, can be fully replenished again with people. A small poffeffion will induce the native to stay, when only a large one will induce a stranger to come; fo that, in place of the many, it will be difficult, perhaps for ages, to fubftitute more than a few. Befides, no inhabitants can be got fo well a dapted to the country as the natives. They are, in general, a fober, active, frugal, and induftrious race of men; and were their industry and ingenuity properly directed and affifted by all who have an intereft in doing this, the riches and improvement of every estate would be in exact proportion to the number of its people. Every landlord fhould confider the migration of every labouring man from his estate as the loss of an active fervant, who improved his land for only a bare fubfiftence: For, in general, they never had any more for their pains; and, in general, they would ftill be contented to live on the fame terms, under their ancient masters. If they are not allowed to do fo, the loss of them will be regretted, when it cannot be repaired; and that at no distant period: For the undue extenfion of farms, like every other fuch evil, will in time cure itself; and the cultivation of the ground will be recurred to, for the fake of bread, the first and most neceffary article of living.

It is an important obfervation of Pliny, that large farms had ruined Italy, and were in his time ruining the provinces. Large farms will ruin any country, by discouraging population, the fource of all riches and improvement. They de

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ftroy the independent fpirit of a nation, by putting all its property in a few hands, and leaving the greater number to have no interest in the state; so as to make its falvation or perdition to them a matter of mere indifference. Hence the once invincible Romans, as Pliny forefaw, became an easy prey to hordes of barbarians *.

The feudal fyftem, with all its faults, had one wife and valuable property. It gave every man fome share of possesfion, and an interest in the land; which made every man forward and zealous to fupport and defend the state. It strongly attached every man to the chief, or landlord, who enabled him to live upon his property. This attachment existed in the Highlands long after it had become extinct in every other part of the kingdom; and, notwithstanding all the cold water which has been thrown upon it, fome sparks of it still remain. In a world fo much fubject to viciffitudes, and in an age so much marked with revolutions, it would be wife to cherish and keep these sparks alive, in cafe of there being any occafion for having the fire again rekindled.

C It is but doing bare justice to the greatest proprietor in this county, to say, that he has uniformly encouraged population and moderate poffeffions, refufing frequently the higher offers of the few for what was held by the many, and dividing his farms, instead of accumulating them, like many others. In all his Grace's eftate in Kintyre, yielding above 7000l. a-year,

* Every landlord who loves his country, or regards his own property and intereft, ought to give all the check in his power to a system fraught with so much mischief. Such as have neither the public spirit nor the wisdom to do fo, ought to be obliged by those who have the care of the state in charge. A law to regulate the size of possessions, by taxing farms according to their rent, if exceeding a certain fum, would be the most popular and beneficial that could be well devised. It might be hurtful to a few monopolizers, and troublefome, perhaps, to a few factors or stewards; but falutary to the ftate, and advantageous to the landlords, as it would tend to the rapid improvement of their eftates, and increase the value of their property.