0: 067- N

bent ſoil. Subſtantial drains are the only remedy for an evil of this kind. It is obſerved alſo, that the ſoil above rotten whinſtone, that is, whinſtone which 15 moulder- ing by the action of the weather, and of which ſtone the bills here are chicfly compoſed, is light, dry, and warm, and naturally produces fine ſhort graſs, without heath. The de- caying whinſtone below opens a thouſand crevices and open« ings for the water to deſcend, whilſt, by its decompoſition, it adds to the thickneſs and richneſs of the ſoil. The clayey particles that may be in the whinſtone, and that may be diſ- engaged from the other component parts, are carried down by rains, while the quartzy, and other earths that are not ſv readily ſuſpended in water, are leit behind.

Some ſoils in this county are much earlier than 0= thers. The difference in this reſpe& between ſoils ap parently much alike has been aſligned to various cauſes which, probably, on a near inſpettion, and by a few ex periments, will not appear to be ſatisfying: The true cauſe is perhaps yet unknown. There is reaſon to imagine, from ſome recent experiments, inſtituted on purpoſe, that /atent Heat operates conſiderably in promoting the ripening of corns and other crops 3; and that this heat can be eafily induced on any ſoil in a tolerable degree of cultivation. Some more trials on this intereſting inquiry, will, it is preſumed, be ſoon made in the neighbourhood of the metropolis of Scotland: The Board of Agriculture will perhaps be favoured with art accurate account of the reſult of theſe experiments:

Towns and Villages.--Kinroſs, which is the central and principal town, and capital of the county, is ſituated in 56 15' north latitude, and 3* 10' weſt longitude from London 3 and is from 15 to 18 miles diſtant from tlie ſea port towns of Alloa, Kincardine, Culroſs, North Queensferry, Inverkeith«

ing, Burntiſland, Kinghorn, Kirkaldy, Dyſart, and Leven, on € the