Chap. XVII, Appendix.

407

situations, where natural or artificial manures can be procur-ed, ami where the arable land is enclosed. The ingenious au-thors of the Reprinted Reports of the Hebrides , and of all thecounties of the Highlands, uniformly complain of the want ofgreen crops, and with all their eloquence recommend the exten-sive cultivation of them, as one of the most effectual means ofreclaiming waste land, enriching the soil already cultivated, andincreasing the produce of it, both for the use of man and beast.

Waste lands can by no other process be more easily or effec-tually reclaimed, than by a complete fallow or a green crop.Potatoes, of course, are raised in iazy-beds, over a great part ofthe Highlands and Hebrides . Indeed, lor half a century past,there has been little if any additions made to the cultivated land,but by this practice. It ought therefore to be extended more andmore, especially if this species of crop be confined to waste land.

By this means, the quantity of land fit for cultivation, and ca-pable of bearing crops of grass or grain may be gradually in-creased. As a proof of this, Dr Walker mentions that potatoeswere first introduced into South Uist about the year 1743; that,inthe course of twenty-one years, upwards of nine hundred a-cres were thus reclaimed and rendered capable of cultivation bythe plough or spade. And in the Isle of Skye , he adds, thattwenty acres were added to every farm of 20/. of yearly rent, byplanting potatoes on land never formerly cultivated. Nay, onone single farm in the district of Arisaig, there were raised noless than 400 bolls of potatoes, in one year, and all on landwhich had never before been in any culture whatever. As a fur-ther proof of the immense advantage of such a crop, he mentionsanother farm in the same county, which, in the year 1749, onlyraised from 12 to 15 bolls of grain, and reared only 40 cows,whereas, in 1764, 37 bolls of grain were raised, and po less than70 cattle, of larger size and better fed, were maintained. Yetthis vast increase of produce, in the short period of 15 years, wasentirely owing to the bringing in of waste and wild land by po-tatoes.

Arablt*lan<3s may be cleaned and improved by a crop of tur-nips. Were a poor farmer told, that, by raising this plant, hamight have milk for himself and his family all the year round—that he might double his winter provision for his cattle, and thequantity of dung for his farm—that, much more corn might beraised, and reserved for meal to his family—and that the weak-est, and worst of his land would be cleaned and enriched, bythrowing in turnips into his rotation, he would doubtless be a-maztd, and apt to conclude, that this was an idle tale. But thelandlord, by cultivating this crop himself, and by encouraginghis tenants to follow his example, would soon open their eyes,and carry conviction to their minds, of the practicability of sucha plan, and the vast value of it.