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there is but one large fheep ftock, and that on lands not much adapted for tillage; and this is not given to one, but to feveral. Sheep on fuch lands, given in small fhares or poffeffions, would be a bleffing to the country in general, instead of being a benefit only to a few *.

In confequence of this fyftem, of giving small or moderate poffeffions, the estate mentioned is more improved, and in the way of advancing more in rent, than most others in the county. In confequence of this fyftem too, fo favourable to population, perhaps no subject in Great Britain could, upon any great emergency, gather more men around his ftandard, or ftand more fecure of their affection, than the Duke of Argyle.

It must be observed, however, that, on fome parts of this nobleman's estate, as well as on many others, one effential branch of rural establishment is greatly neglected. The cottagers, in many diftricts, are extremely few, and much difcouraged. This is more especially the cafe of late; for even farmers, blind to their own intereft, have caught a portion of the unfeeling and intolerant spirit of those who leffen the population of the country. It is from cottages, that servants, and labourers for improving the ground, are to be looked for; and the present scarcity and high wages of fervants must, in a great measure, be ascribed to there being so few cottages in moft parts of the county. This circumftance is also adverse to population and industry; for fervants, when they have not a prospect of so much as a house to put their head in, are dif

His Grace has fince broke down this large poffeffion into 4 lots, each consisting of 2 or 3 fmall farms, and planted with 2 or 3 refiding tenants, who can give all their labour and attention to the improvement of the ground, and commit their joint stock of sheep (on each lot) to the manage ment of a common herd. This plan, which unites agriculture with sheepfarming, and encourages population, appears to be well adapted to the nature of this county, and promises to promote both the interest of the proprie tors and of the people. See Chap. XIII. Sect. 2.

couraged from marrying, and become lefs induftrious and frugal than those who have fuch a prospect.

If every farm had one or more cottages connected with it, according to its extent, it would be of the highest advantage to the country. Population would rapidly increase; fervants, and good ones too, would abound; and the improvement of the lands would be greatly promoted. The farmer, in this way, would be better served, than by getting new, and generally ignorant hands, at every half year's end. A cottage fervant would know his master's work, and the nature of his foil; and, with skill and experience, have alfo more interest in having every thing, forwarded and well done, than can reasonably be expected from a stranger, who, like a bird of paffage, waits only for the term-day to take his departure. In hay and harvest time, the cottager's family would be a help at hand; and their aid, taken only when needed, might in many cases serve instead of a stated fervant, and be cheaper and more convenient for the farmer.

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To make the fituation of cottagers comfortable, every cottage fhould have an acre or two of ground (whether improved or improveable) annexed to it; fo as to enable the occupier to keep a cow, or a small horse. A little poffeffion of this kind would be confidered by a labouring man, or tradesas a great estate. It would encourage him to marry early, enable him in his frugal way to bring up a decent family, ftrongly attach him to his country, and give him an intereft in its welfare. We fhould then hear no more the common faying of labourers, when an invafion of the country was lately rumoured: "From those who have nothing to lofe, nothing can be taken."

In fuch cottages, useful and honeft fervants would be reared for the public,—and hardy, able, and active foldiers and failors for the army and the navy: And the cottager, as he would be qualified, might, by frugality and industry, be

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able to better his circumftances, and rife by degrees to the rank of a farmer of a small poffeffion; which is no uncommon cafe, where cottagers are encouraged as they ought. But here the wretched hut is often grudged them, even on the hardest terms; and a cow's grafs they can feldom have for money or for favour.

Would it not then be wife and patriotic, as well as humane, in every land-owner to annex to every farm-house at least one cottage, with a spot of ground cut out with it*, at a reasonable rent, fixed by himself, and not by the farmer? For fome fuch regulation as this, the poor cottagers look up

« A land-owner in a parish in Worcestershire, obferving that the occupi ers of cottages which had land annexed to them were remarkable for bringing up their families in a more neat and decent manner than those whose cottages were without land, laid out from 5 to 12 acres to a number of cottages, added a small building for a horse or cow, and allowed grafting-stocks tą raife orchards; and, in some instances, lent a small fum for the purchase of a cow, a mare, or a pig. The confequence was, that, in no one instance, this failed of giving an industrious turn, even to fome who were before idle and profligate. Their attention in nurfing up the young trees has been so much beyond what a farmer, intent on greater objects, can or will beflow, that the increase of their orchards has doubled the value of the land under them, and the poor rates have fallen to 4d.; while, in the adjoining parishes, there is an affeffment of from 2s. 6d. to 5s. in the pound. These cottagers are labourers, and good ones: Their little concerns are managed by their wives and children, with their own affistance, after the day's work. Their stock consists of a cow, a yearling heifer, or a mare to breed (from which a colt, at half a year old, will fetch from 31. to 51.), a sow, and fome geefe. This has been the means of bringing a supply of poultry and fruit to the market, of increafing population, and making the land produce double the rent that a farmer can afford to beflow." Agric. Rep. of Oxford.

Much of the natural advantage of Argyleshire arifes from its fishings. To improve this advantage, cottagers should everywhere be encouraged, and furnished with small poffeffions, to employ them when at home. The Duke of Argyle has laid out a farm in fmall lots near Inveraray; the occupiers of which cleared last season (1795) 8001. by fishing herring; which shows of what advantage fuch establishments might prove to the county, if they were More frequent.

to thofe of large fortune and great influence in the country: and great, indeed, will be their merit and reward, if they devote those talents with which Providence has bleffed them, to serve the common cause, and their own, in the most effential manner, by rendering the fituation of the labouring poor more comfortable, and promoting population. “A civic crown was formerly decreed to him who saved the life of a citizen. What adequate recompenfe fhall be adjudged to him who fhall be the means of thus adding thousands to the number?"

SECT. II.-Rent.

In this county, there is very little land let by the acre. But fuch gentlemen as have got their eftates furveyed, have also got the different farms and fields valued, for their own private information. The quality of the foil is extremely different; fo that such valuations differ, fometimes on the fame farm, from 2s. to 15s. the acre of arable ground. The pafture too, being partly green hill, but mostly heath, differs no lefs in its quality than the arable land. Some of it is valued below 4d. and fome above 45. the acre. In the neighbourhood of Campbelton, a few spots of arable land let from 21. to 31. the acre. But this price may be faid to be put, not altogether upon the land, but partly upon the accommodation *.

* What proportion the rent of a farm should bear to its produce, depends fo much on foil, climate, fituation, and other circumstances, that no general rule can be laid down on the subject. On the rent of fheep-lands, as occupied with us at prefent, fome observations may be seen in Chap. XIII. Sect. 2. In regard to arable lands more particularly, it is a common, though perhaps not a juft remark, that 1-3d of the produce fhould go for rent, 1-3d for expence of management, and 1-3d for the farmer's profit, intereft, &c. The oldest observation extant on this subject is in Gen. xlvii. 24.; where 1-5th is allow

There is very little arable land in the county, but what is capable of higher cultivation; befides the great quantity of wafte ground that may be improved in almost every farm. The land is therefore capable of being made to yield a much higher rent when better cultivated; though not a great deal of it, as is generally thought, can bear much more, in the present stage of improvement, than what is laid on already, unless it be under a different management *.

That high rents are a fpur to improvement and exertion, is a common, and, to a certain extent, a just maxim. No doubt there may be fome, who, if they had the land for nothing, would be ruined by their indolence. But the more common cafe is, that, when a tenant fees that all his exertion will not do, he becomes difpirited and desperate, and allows himself to be carried along by the stream which he cannot ftem. The land fuffers, the tenant fails, the farm gets a bad name, and the rent must be lowered. Thus the landlord, as well as the tenant, fuffers, by raising the rent higher or fafter than the improvement of the land will bear.

A fubftantial tenant is generally cautious of engaging to pay a rent that is exorbitant. He fees the fuccefs of those who inveft their money in other branches of business; and he follows their example, if he has not the profpect of a farm's yielding him full interest for his money, and an adequate return for his diligence and labour. Whereas he who has leaft to lofe, is often the most forward to offer; and the landlord is often tempted to accept the offer, without confidering that a fufficient capital is necessary for paying the rent, and improving the land. Inftances of ruin to the tenant, and

ed for rent, 1-5th for feed, 1-5th for food, 1-5th for fervants, and 1-5th to lay by for provifion to children.

*

Sheep-lands would be more productive, by introducing a better-woolled breed; arable lands, by adopting a better system of husbandry. See Chap. VII. Sect. 3.

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