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A portion of this waste land, however, after having been pastured

in this wretched manner for six or seven years together, may be

ploughed up, when it will yield, perhaps, a poor crop or two of

bad oats, or of some other coarse grain; and then, being entirely

exhausted, it must be rested and pastured again as before, and

another portion ploughed up, to be in the same manner exhausted

and rested again in its turn. Such, accordingly, was the general

system of management all over the low country of Scotland before

the Union. The lands which were kept constantly well manured and

in good condition seldom exceeded a third or fourth part of the

whole farm, and sometimes did not amount to a fifth or a sixth

part of it. The rest were never manured, but a certain portion of

them was in its turn, notwithstanding, regularly cultivated and

exhausted.