vious, will be different, according to the elevation and exposure of the land.

Upon the fame principle, when it is meant to preferve the heath upon lands inclining to the north, the burning ought to take place at a later period of the fpring, than upon a fouth afpect, as the effects of mild weather are longer in being felt in the former; and, fhould fevere weather follow the burning, a thing by no means uncommon in high fituations, the plants might be entirely destroyed.

As to the proportion of ground to be annually burnt, the length of time during which it fhould be herded, and the attention neceffary for preferving the tender grafs from being hurt by early feeding; these are points that must, in a great measure, be left to the judgment of the farmer, as it is hardly poffible to find any two fituations where the same system of management will apply in all its parts; the proportion annually burnt should, in all cafes, be regulated by the size of the farm, and the numbers of stock kept upon it, taking care to leave a fufficiency of pasture for the animals, exclufive of what is fired. The length of time during which it should be protected, after burning, must depend upon the nature of the fituation, which, if it is favourable, the plants will make more progress, and be sooner out of danger, than where it is otherwise. But, be the fituation what it will, it fhould be a fixed rule, to protect the pasture till the herbage has acquired a tolerable degree of ftrength; for, if fheep are turned early upon it, they will, in general, pick the heart out of the young

young plants, and by that means, either destroy them entirely, or, at least, affect them fo much, as to ruin them for the season.

The above obfervations, are meant to apply only to cafes, where it is meant to improve the pasture, in the cheapest and easiest manner, and by means of burning alone. It is proper, however, to obferve, that when the entire deftruction of heath, or, indeed, of any other plant, growing fpontaneously, upon any foil, is attempted, fomething more than burning will be requifite, to render it compleatly useful; for, though by that operation the plants upon the furface may be deftroyed, and the fpecies difappear for a time, unless fome alteration is made upon the foil, there will be a very great risk of a new race of the fame kind appearing; a circumftance, that will be readily understood by thofe who have paid fuitable attention to the fubject. Lands that have never been cultivated, nor manured, produce fpontaneoufly the plants fuited to the foil and climate, and will continue to do fo for ever, unless the nature of that foil is altered; of courfe, before we can either destroy these plants, or bring up a more valuable fet in their place, fuch alteration must be effected either by the use of manures, laying the land dry, or otherwife; in fuch cafes, the plants die, because the foil is rendered unfit to nourish them, and others are produced fuited to the newly modified earth.

In every inftance, therefore, where it is practicable, and where the improved value of the fubject will juftify the attempt, the application of alterative manures

will be found at once the moft expeditious mode of destroying heath, and rendering the foil immediately productive; for that purpofe, lime is unquestionably the best yet known, and will, in whatever mode it is applied, anfwer the end propofed. The moft profitable way of ufing it, however, appears to be, not by laying it upon the furface, but by, mixing it with the foil. Where the land admits of that treatment, it fhould be fummer ploughed with a thin furrow, and fuffered to remain in that flate for a year; at the end of which, it fhould be cross-ploughed, well harrowed, and the lime applied; the fod by that time will be found compleatly rotted, and the after-ploughings and harrowings will reduce it entirely, and mix the lime intimately with every part of the foil.

In cafes where the land is very poor, turnips may be fowed broad-caft, and eaten off with the fheep in the fpring, when, after giving it a flight furrow, it may be fowed with grafs feeds, without any corn crop: but, where the foil is of a good, or tolerable quality, oats may be fowed with grafs feeds; the oats will, in general, be an abundant crop, and the grafs afterwards good. The earliest forts of oat fhould be fowed, especially in high, late fituations; of thefe, the red kind appears to deferve a preference. In fome instances, where this plan has been pursued, upon a part of the Lammer-muir hills, very much expofed, ten or twelve bolls have been raifed upon an acre, the foil of which, in its original ftate, was not worth a fhilling annually, with the additional advantage of the

heath

heath being compleatly deftroyed, and a fet of valuable graffes established in its room.

One of the inftances alluded to is, upon a farm in the poffeffion of Mr Patrick Brodie, of Garvald, in East Lothian, and is not now quoted upon the faith of a fingle trial, made upon a fmall fcale, and in a favourable feafon; the fields are of confiderable extent, and fome of the trials have been made in very unfavourable years, and under circumstances of peculiar disadvantages. Mr Brodie propofes continuing his plan, upon the rest of his heath grounds, where the foil, and other circumftances, admit of their being treated in that manner.

To a mind, capable of appreciating the advantages of fuch improvements, the appearance of these fields' cannot fail to be highly pleafing. To fee extenfive tracts, fituated in a hilly district, elevated many hundred feet above the level of the ocean, formerly covered with heath, or tough fapless bent-grafs, exhibiting only a bleak, barren appearance,—producing weighty and valuable crops of grain, and afterwards converted into rich pasture; forms a contraft which the eye furveys with pleasure, and, holds out to those, who have an intereft in the improvement of such property, a fuccessful example of what may be accomplifhed, by the well directed efforts of industry and enterprize, even in the most unfavourable fituations.

ON

ON MANUFACTURES.

BY ANGUS MACDONALD.

In order to suggest the proper method of introducing the primary branches of the linen or woollen manufactures into a country, it is necessary to be acquain ted with its fituation, foil and climate, as well as with the language, habits, difpofition, and manner of life of the inhabitants. Befides the advantage of having been born and bred in the central diftricts of the Highlands, and thus becoming acquainted both with the country and people, my attention has for many years been inceffantly directed to the ftudy of the branches of manufacture, which I mean to recommend; and I have been attentive to the best methods of conducting them, both in this and other countries. In travelling through the Highlands, I have likewife had various opportunities, both of converfing and corresponding with fome of the most intelligent inhabitants, concerning the fubjects which I propose to difcufs.

VOL. II.

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