prospered with him beyond precedent up to that time of his life; and the hope that he might do more and more good to his family and the country was seductive. His love for improvement had been from the beginning a passion; truly laudable when kept within bounds. Beyond his seventieth year this passion increased: it became too strong; and herein was error, though venial. I am certain that a mean or a sordid idea never harboured in his breast. Nearly £20,000 of incumbrance now resting on his estate, sprung out of securities granted to a friend, and to the public roads of Fifeshire. He died in his eightieth year. Neither he nor any one of his family was given to extravagance, in personal gratifications. We always lived within our apparent means: fully, but not foolishly. I lost in Wiltshire upwards of £6000.; but the people of that county will witness to the cause. It had no concern either with extravagant living or mismanagement. My farming practice, for several years before I had to give in, was reduced to a perfect system. My servants, both Scotch and English, were truly exemplary. They were paid well, and worked hard, without either scold or scowl*.

*

My servants carried the prizes for good ploughing again and again in Wiltshire, and I too had premiums from the Bath and Wiltshire Agricultural Societies, till I got sick of these worse than useless institutions, to expose the trifling and vanities of which I published in the Salisbury Journal of 21st Nov. 1814, the following Address, with challenges, which were never taken up.

"

TO FARMERS

Of the Hill Country of Wilts, Hants, and Dorset.

COULD it avail, farmers! I should be glad to advise with you, at this time, as to the grand political causes which depress

The purchase and sale of my father's estates is worthy of

agriculture, and threaten to overwhelm us; as well as of the best means whereby we might be able to cope with foreigners in open market. I should more earnestly do this, now, that parliamentary reports have come forth, stuffed with ex-parte evidence and self-imposing plausibility, manifesting a steady purpose on the part of landed proprietors to press upon the legislature selfish and factitious expedients, which will effect but a temporary remedywhich, in fact, taken alone, will tend ultimately to the increase of our grand national disease, and must immediately impose upon us, farmers, unmerited odium, if they do not embroil the country at large in trouble.

But my brother farmers have either not actually shaken off the fetters of vassalage, or the bare remembrance of the feudal tie is still too powerful for their imaginations. All attempts to induce them to touch the main springs of improvement,-to be virtuously independent, and to enlarge independence and security, would be vain. My present purpose, therefore, affects but the manual of agriculture, and here it is better to do a little than to be idle.

Whoever reaps the benefit of dexterity and skill,-whithersoever their productions may tend, there is ever in the development of these, something valuable and praiseworthy. Indeed, dexterity and skill, are, next to liberty, the best inheritance of a nation; and will be ever efficient in maintaining, when unobstructed, its respectability in the face of the world.

Agricultural Societies might have done good in this way, but their objects have never been sufficiently defined or substantial; and, respecting too little the grand principles which govern all men, they have invariably disgusted the practical farmer, attempting to lead him by the slender vanities,-by empirical pretensions and coxcombical exhibitions.

After a residence of five years in this country, there appears to me certain objects which admit of amendment. They will be embraced within the three following Challenges, which I throw out neither for gambling nor parade, but as sober and decisive means of establishing important facts.

record, as marking, strongly, changes of value in money and

The first I shall bring in course affects a practice by far the most glaringly wrong. I mean the abominable one of dragging out little boys eight or nine years old to drive horses at plough, even in the severity of winter, when they are positively a hindrance to the work.

Every nation looks with detestation and disgust to certain foreign practices. An Englishman would reprobate that of some who oblige their women to carry on their backs the manure to the fields; and would sicken at that of others whose luxurious repasts are previously chewed by their domestic servants; but he passes on his way at home, unconcerned, though at every step he may see the rising generation exposed to the surly blast, and soul and body stinted and shrivelled by premature toil.

The second Challenge regards the most material feature in perfect tillage-the cultivation of turnips. This I am the more ready to advance, as my own wavering and unsuccessful efforts for some years, gave rise, pretty generally, to an impression, that I had failed in the practice of drilling this crop. The fact is, that the Scotch method, which is by far the best on most soils, was found, by me, inadvisable on the chalk hills of Wiltshire; and, after many experiments, I am now confirmed in my present practice of drilling, which differs from the Scotch mode only as to the manner of applying the manure*.

The third Challenge must speak for itself: few parts of the island admit of such a contest; that which you occupy affords it peculiar scope, containing, in a greater degree than any other, an extent of soil, with climature, and other circumstances nearly similar.

CHALLENGE 1st.-I engage to meet any of you half way, each bringing two ploughs, one drawn by two horses, and the other by

* I carried the premium of the Wiltshire Society for growing the best Swedish turnips, upon my chalk bottom land, against a competitor on the best turnip soil in Wiltshire,-a sandy loam.

land; and will not be out of place in a statistical work, which gives evidence of the same kind in a foreign country.

three or four, at your option, to work in the same field eight hours a day for six days, you having drivers to your horses and I none, for a stake of 20 guineas a plough, and all expences; to be determined by proper umpires, judging from quantity and quality of work conjointly: always understanding that the servants and horses shall be those now employed bona fide for the purposes of husbandry in their respective stations.

CHALLENGE 2d.-I engage to grow drilled turnips against broadcast with any of you for a stake of 20 guineas. Each to point out 10 acres upon his own farm to be divided in halves, and these, by lot, to be appropriated to the cultivation of the drill and broadcast competitor, from the 1st of May; the land being previously manured equally, and ploughed twice.

CHALLENGE 3d.-I engage to be one of 20 to subscribe 20 guineas a year for five years, to be funded regularly and applied as follows: Each subscriber to produce by the 1st of March, a plan of his farm, with an essay describing the course he is to pursue, and the reasons for the various measures he means to adopt. He whose plan and essay shall be judged the best, conjointly, to receive 200 guineas out of the fund; and the second best, 100; the remaining hundred to be appropriated to incidental expences. The farms to be inspected twice every year, viz. in June and October; and each year of the four last of the term, 200 guineas to be awarded to him whose farm is found in the best condition; and to the second best, 100; excepting, after the first award, the gainer of a first prize; and after the second, the gainer of two second prizes. At the end of the term, 200 guineas to be awarded to him, without exception, whose management through the whole period has been best; and 100 to the second best. The remaining fund to clear off incidental charges, among which should be included, the expence of publishing the prize plans and essays, together with the half-yearly reports, awards, &c.

Whoever may

be willing to engage in any of the above chal

Scotstarvet and Broadleys, which cost
less than £4,000, were left clear by
the sale of part, and afterwards sold,
in 1818, for
Craigrothie and Baltilly, part got by in-

heritance, and part by purchase, did
not cost more than £3,300, and were
sold, in 1818, for £17,300

Kilmaron cost £3,500, and sold, about.

28,000

14,000

1805, for £20,000

Pratis cost £6,900, and sold, in 1814 and

1817, for £24,900

Glentarkie cost £15,000, about 1805, and

sold, in 1817, for £26,000

Had final sales been made in 1813, instead of 1818, I know, from offers refused prior to that time, when land was at the highest value, that these estates would have brought at least 25 per cent. more than they did bring. Kilmaron, purchased about 1783, and sold about 1805, was re-sold three years afterwards for £26,000: so that in a period of less than thirty years its value was nearly eight times increased, while no very expensive improvements were made upon it. The sale prices, above quoted, are accurate. The purchase prices I have stated above the truth, not knowing these exactly; and wishing to err on the safe side. Pratis, for instance, cost little more than £6000; but I have stated its cost at £6,900, to make an even sum of the balance.

f

lenges, will have the goodness to give in his name to the Printers, or communicate directly with me within a month from this date, ROBERT GOURLAY.

· Deptford Farm, 21st Nov. 1814.