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profitsof their trade very precarious,"The chief advanta« ges are ſuppoſed to ariſe from the cattle which they bring- to market; and as theſe are ſold at 2 ſeaſon when butcher-- "meat bears the higheſt price, the returns muſt be conſide- rable.--Farmers, in the vicinity of the diſtilleries, believing that their ſervants and labourers are hurt by the ſpirits, which they procure at a low rate from their neighbours, by no means covet the ſervices of ſuch perſons as have aſſiſt ed in any of theſe works, where they are apt to acquire an appetite for liquor, with other bad habits-

OBST ACLES TO IMPROVEMENT.

The farmers in.this county poſſeſs their own ſhare of at=- tachment to old cuſtoms. This holds ſo univerſally over the whole Iſland, that thefe prejudices can on!y be lament- ed.--It has happened that, in proportion to the extent of this diſtri&t, fewer exertions have been made by farmers, that is to ſay, by perſons occupying land not their own Property, than in almoſtany other ſhire in Scotland. Se- veral gentlemen who are proprietors, have made conſide- rable efforts, and tried to introduce new modes of agricul- ture, which have been adopted in part, though ſlowly, by the neighbouring farmers. But, in general, theſe enterpri- ſing proprietors, found themſelves obliged to import ſer- vants from other countries to condu& and carry their plans into execution.

Perhaps one cauſe why improvements have advanced ſo Nlowly in this county is, the /zmal/neſs of the farms.. No other reaſon than old cuſtom can be aſſigned for it.-A laudable ſpirit of Frugality. abounds amongſt the whole far- mers; but, ſtrange to tell! a perſon who ſees the advantage, and reaps it too, of attention to the proper culture of his farm, upon balancing his accounts at the end of the Year, and finding a conſiderable ſurplus at his diſpoſal, inſtead of

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