THE Edinburgh Magazin LITERARY MISCELLANY. VOL. VIII NEW SERIES In tenui laber, al-tenuis nomi gloria, si quem THE ib. Some Account of Tobias Smillett, Narrative of the Adventures of the Mutineers on board his Ma- jefty's hip Bounty after their Memoirs of the Houfe of Savoy, with fome account of the Court Account of the Prince of Pied- Montferrat, Gennovois, and the Life of George Anderfon, Efq. - Account of Jar. Macpherfon, Efq. ib. Extracts from the Miscellaneous State of the BAROMETER in inches and decimals, and of Farenheit's THE- MOMETER in the open air, taken in the morning before fun-rise, and at noon; and the quantity of rain-water fallen, in inches and decimals, from July 1ft to 31ft, within one mile of the Caftle of Edinburgh. THE EDINBURGH MAGAZINE, OR LITERARY MISCELLANY, FOR JULY 1796, SOME ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF LARGE FARMS. SIR, TH HE writer of the Obfervations relative to Large Farms, in your Magazine for May laft, though he profeffes, from the attention he has paid to Agriculture, to be not an incompetent judge of the effects of large farms, appears to me to have taken a very partial view of the fubject. And though he is of opinion, that he has faid enough to prove that large farms are highly injurious, I am not deterred from of fering fome arguments in their favour, which, if not fufficient to prove them, on the contrary, highly advantageous, will, I hope, induce the unprejudiced reader, not to put implicit faith in his affertions. The advantages, or difadvantages, of large farms, will probably more diftinctly appear, if we take a feparate view of their effects, upon the annual produce of the land, and upon the population of the nation at large. So far from a large farm producing lefs than the fame land divided amongst a number of occupiers would do, in all places where the fpirit of improvement has made any progrefs, the contrary effect has univerfally been produced, and muft neceffarily be fo. The improvement of worn out, or of waste land, neceffarily requires that its occupier fhould be poffeffed of capital, not only fufficient to flock his farm, but alfo to A enable him to lay out confiderable fums on the adventitious manures neceffary for the enriching his land. But the want of fufficient capital too often precludes fmall farmers from the poffibility of improving their land. Small poffeffions around towns, in the occupation of manufacturers and others, are, no doubt, cultivated to the greateft advantage; but their occupiers are enabled to do fo, only by employing part of the capital, which they have acquired by their fuccefs in trade, in the improvement of their land. Indeed, the quantity of land poffeffed in this way is comparatively fo fmall as to afford no argument against farms in general being large. From all the Agricultural Reports of the different counties of the kingdom, it will be found, that they are rich and large farmers only, who have made themfelvés confpicuous for the fuperior quality of their stocks, or the more improved cultivation of their land, From the variety of foils in a large farm, its poffeffor has it in his power to make the proper cultivation of one more fubfervient to the improvement of another fpecies of foil. He is enabled" to keep his live flock at much greater advantage, as very often the fame labour is neceffary to attend a few fheep or cows, as would be required for a greater number. In 2 bad |