IN SCOTLAND.

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are too generally in a dependant, and even in a depressed si-tuation. They excel in the rearing of live stock, and in theknowledge of the diseases of their cattle ; but they are defi-cient in general industry, although they labour very hard inseed time and harvest; and though a spirit of improvementis certainly gaining ground in the West Highlands, their skillin agriculture is very limited.

In the 7th District, owing to the smallness of the farms,the general want of leases, and their dependence on the tacks-men ; the character of the farmer, though often marked byacuteness and intelligence, is not distinguished for habits ofindustry, nor skill in agriculture. The eastern divisions ofRoss, Cromarty, Sutherland, and Caithness, contain bothfarms and farmers superior to those in the Western ; and inmany parts, where the soil and climate are at all favourable,.agriculture is in a prosperous state, and the farmers active andintelligent.

In regard to the Hebrides and Northern Isles, there is aconsiderable variety in the character of the native farmers.But short leases, (or often their having no leases at all), thesystem of tacksmen, the fishery, the attention required in themanufacture of kelp, and an unfavourable climate, depressthe mind, distract the attention, and injure the professionalcharacter of the farmer. The gentlemen farmers, or tacks-men, who act as middlemen between the landholders and thesmaller tenants, rent large districts of country, are men ofgood education, unexceptionable morals, and respectable onmany accounts : but they are not in general distinguished asskilful cultivators of the soil, and the system of tacksmen, isconsidered by Mr Macdonald, in his Survey of the Hebrides ,as prejudicial to the agriculture of these districts.

In regard to the Scotch farmers in general, it may be ob-served, that it is impossible to do sufficient justice to the nu-merous individuals who have done credit to their profession.Mr Dawson of Frogden, near Kelso, is the individual, to whomthe agricultural work! is indebted for the excellent system of