ON THE RURAL ECONOMY

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Great and sensibly as these evils are felt, it is probable thatthe present system will not be materially changed, till ara-ble farms are generally of greater extent than they are at pre-sent. Whenever a farm extends to 200 acres, the tenantmust always find it to be his interest to keep one or more ser-vants in the capacity of labourers, if lie can afford them em-ployment through the whole year. When matters come to thatstate, difficulties soon disappear, as neat cottages, with constantemployment, at liberal wages, will never fail, while human na-ture remains as at present, to,raise up whatever number ofhands the most perfect system of agriculture can require.

In those parts of the kingdom where cottages are most fre-quently found upon farms, more attention is paid to the com-fort of the occupier, when new ones are erected, than can befound in those built thirty or forty years ago, particularly bymaking the windows larger, and to open when necessary,and also by setting apart a by-corner, into which the ashesand other filth from the house may be thrown, instead of al-lowing the dunghill to be placed within a step of the threshold,as is still too commonly to be seen in some districts, to thegreat injury of the health of the inhabitants, and the disgustof every stranger who witnesses such scenes.

The only exception to the general rule of cottagers hold-ing their house directly from the farmer, and paying theirrent by labour in harvest, is chiefly to be found in the remoteHighlands and Western Isles , where, as was observed in thesection concerning labourers, they hold of the proprietor, evensometimes under a lease, and pay their rent either in money,or by personal services.