THE DUKE OF ARGYLL ON THE HIGHLANDS.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1685, 24 April 1883, Page 4

THE DUKE OF ARGYLL ON THE HIGHLANDS.

— ♦ Tin; Nineteenth Century contains an article by the t)ukc of Argyll on the economic condition of the Highlands. The object of the article is to prove, first, that the economic condition of the Highlands is better now than it was a century or a half a century ago, and that the iccont changes in the population and state of the Highlands arc not subjects for lcgict but congratulation. Aftci an exposition of the law of Maltlms, his (•race goes on to speak of the extension of sheep grazing in the Highlands ; the Duke contends strongly that this is the agricultural use to which the land is specially adapted. He then observes that the diminution of a population puitly agricultural, so far from being a phenomenon emanating from the Highlauds only, is the example of a great general law which fa operating over the richest and mobt civilised, countries, as in the case of Franco. He goes on to say— The theoretical result to w hich those Mho deploie emigration h,i\c always looked forward \\a& no other than tins, that the Highlands would become a meie grazing ground of the lowlands and of England, tenanted by a few large capitalists, and by a few solitniy shopherds. This is the result which those who do not know the Highlands very commonly suppose has actually arisen. They think that tillage is diminishing, that fertillc and is been given up to sheep, that little or nothing is being spent on the improvement of the soil. I have no hesitation is abaci ting that this is a puic delusion — a delusion as gross (and this is saying much) as has ever prevailed in England-^ respecting the social condition of the •nost distant countries of theeaith, and which is the less excusable when it is propagated respecting a country every pait ot which is within thirty-six hours of London. I do, indeed, know a few cases, but they are very few, in which land leally adapted for arable cultivation lias been injudiciously appropriated to sheep alone. But this is a rare exception, and for the most part those who make loose assertions on this matter have no piactical knowledge on the subject. It ispotfectly true that there are lmny spots in the Highlands which weie foimeily idled which aio tilled no lonqci, but this is only saying that the rude and ignorant agriculture of other days is gone. It is peifcctly true that million-! of acies arc now undei sheep which tormcrlj supported during half the year the cattle of the summer slieiling, and tor the lest of the year was langcd over bv nothing but tlin eagle and the fo\. But tins i« only saying that the true and natiual use has been found for those mountain pastures, which now maintain throughout the year thousands upon thousands ot the most valuable ot the animals which minister to the wants ot man. It is perfectly true that glens which once maintained, with frequent famines and w ith occasional assistance fiom unwilling Lowlandors, a population which lived in idleness, ignorance, and poveity, aic now tenanted pci haps by some one, or two, or tluec, or four, or five, tenant-farmcis, but this is only saying that at last that change has come m the Highlands which had come long betoie in the Lowlands and in ! England, and which has been in every portion of tins country the one indispensable condition of an improving agncultuic. Unfoitunatoly, and, as I think, much to our national disci edit, we have 2iot Jiitlietto had any statistics of j agiicultiuc which are of any value, but the general tact is notorious to all who know the Highlanders that tillage has not been dec-leasing, but, on thocontiaiy, has been inci easing, and thatononnously. This is lotncd, indeed, fiom the steeper bank-, and luaes, and fiom the light shingly soils, which wcic foimeily the only soils adapted by natiual diamagcß for c-eieal uiltnation. It has ictiied also, for the most part, from the little patches among the io<ks on which the ancient population raised their handtuls of barley. "Hut for every acre •which has been thus abandoned to pastiue, piobably ! not less than ten acios lm\e been added dining the last century to the tillage land of the Highland counties. The outlay upon nnpioveinents by piopiietors has been cnoimous. I am personally acquainted with cases in which almost the w hole fice rent has been so expended for yea i s together. In many otheis the percentage so laid out has been very Luge.

In icply to enquiries s^t on foot by Sir ,T O'Shiinuas-sy, the Curator of tlie ifatauiciJ (4aidens, Melbourne, luis just forwarded a very interesting report to rho Minister of Lands on tho Cu',alpa spreiosu. This is a tree indigenous to North America, and its durability and the si/o to which it attains hilly entitle it to the icputation it enjoys of being 1 one of tho most valuable known to botanists. One of its poculiaritios is its impcrviousuoss to damp, logs having becu known to ho in maishy ground for a long fci ies of years without being injuriously affected. For the constmction of bridges, 1 ail way (sleepers, fenccsa, the timber ot the Cctalpa, which commonly attains a height of 50 feet before putting out a branch, and a diameter of 3ft or 4ft, i-, invaluable, equalling, if, indeed, it does no surpass, the far-famed jarrah of Western Austialia. In tho Melbouine Botanical Gardens tho growth of the trees has been rather slow. The fact is no doubt duo to the poverty of the soil, for where the surioundiing conditions lu\e been favourable, the cultme of the Gvtalpu has been icmarkably successful : for although the seed was intiod need into South Austialia as late as IS7B, trees in tho lorest leseivc of Wiruibair, in that colony luvc, in three years att.uneil a height of ISffc. Lit I'M sTmui.s i-ou Tin, M'ksi.ry.-— I. The old man is blind and cannot see. Jfc holds the hat in his hand and thcie is .i penny in his li.it, f!o up quietly and take the penny out of his hat. The man cannot fee > on. Next Sunday you cm put the penny in the Sabbath school-box and the teacher will praise you. Your papa will put some money into the contribution box, too. He will put more in than you do. But his opportunities for lobbing are better than yours. 2. Daisy is crying. Voor little girl, we are sorry for hei. James has hit her in the eye with a tip-cat. Fie ou James to do so, and fie on Daisy not to hit him back. Will Daisy pray for James tonight. No. She will pull the slats from his bed, so he will fall and hurt his arm ou the floor. That will be right, will it not children? 3, Who put the salt in the sugar bowl ? ]\Limma is anxious to find out. Willie is busy looking out of the window. Can you gess what ho is thinking about? Pei haps he is wondering what mamma will give him befoie he goes to bed without his supper. If we were Willie, we would feel safer with a Latin grammar in the scat of our trousers. A young man named Charles M'Leod lias been arrested in Melbourne for having tried to poison a family of selectors at Manoo, iie.ii 1 St. Ariiaud. Mrs M'Leod, the prisoner's mother, made some biead and flour porridge from a bag of flour kept in the outhouse. Tho porridge proved so bitter as to be uneatable, and it was thrown away. A pig and dog ate some of it and died instantaneously. The flour being examined was found to contain strychnine. The prisoner who is on bad terms with his family, bought an ounce of that poison at Stawell lately, An Avfkctixg Scknk. — A young lady, who had enjoyed the advantages of a classical education at a female college, happened to be home when her. grandmother was stricken down with afiital illness. Theentirc family gathered round the' deathbed of the old latty, who, in a feeble voice, said : " Good-bye to you all, 1 am gwinc tor peg out." '• Grandmother," exclaimed tho young lady, ih a tragic tone of voice, •• please Don't say that you are gwine ter per out. Say , you are going to expire, or that you contemplate approaching dissolution', ,It ' scmndij so', puck, befter,", ,■."'' ' >' *