Ciiap. XVII. Appendix.

405

23th of October. All this advantage was owing to his havingsown it on the 8th of March.

In short, there appears to be no doubt, that over the High-lands and Hebrides , harvest may become a month earlier thanit generally is, by early labour, early kind of corn, and earlysowing.

2. The quality of the grain raised in the Highlands and He-brides , might be greatly improved by the exertions of the te-nantry. By the same means, the quantity might also be great-ly increased.

All agree, that the grain raised in these districts, is greatlyinferior in quality to that of any other in Scotland . The aver-age quantity of meal which oats yield per boll, may be stated asfollows. In general, from 10 to 16 pecks per boll over the restof Scotland ; and in the best cultivated counties, from 12 to 18.Whereas the same quantity of oats, in the Highlands and He-brides , owing to the bad kind of seed used, vi*. the grey oats,on an average, yields only from 4 to 6 pecks of meaL

The quantity of grain produced per acre, is still more deficient.Much of the arable land, says Dr Walker, in the northern partsof Argyleshire, the western parts of Inverness and Ross-shire,■and in most of the Islands , when sown with grey oats, (by farthe most commonly sown of any grain), affords only an increase■of three to one. The usual produce of rye, is four seeds: Andthat of bear is under five, and seldom exceeds eight seeds. Thereare fertile islands, such as Isla, South Uist, and others, whichare more productive, yielding ten to fifteen, and even twenty ortwenty-five seeds, of this grain. But this remarkable increase isonly in those spots which are cultivated with the spade, plentiful-ly supplied with sea-ware as a manure, and sown very thin.

This great inferiority in the quality and quantity of grain,however, is not owing to the sterility of the soil, or inhospitablenature of the climate of these districts. It is chiefly to be ascrib-ed to the inattention of the tenants, to the kind of grain whichthey cultivate—to the quality of the seed the}’ sow—and to therotation of crops which they raise.

1. The kind of grain, especially of oats, which is generallycultivated, is the very worst and least productive. Over thegreatest part of the Highlands and Hebrides , Grey oats alone arecultivated ; whereas if early Biainslie, or Black, or, still more,if Tartarian oats were introduced, the increase might be doubled,and the quality of the grain increased in the same proportion.In some of the low-lying, warm, and sheltered spots, Friesland oats would be still more productive. Perhaps, however, theTartarian oat is most generally adapted to these districts. Itgrows luxuriantly even in a stormy climate. It yields a greatincrease both of corn and straw. As the ear or panicle hatigs all