Volume 6

596
elevations contribute not a little to deteriorate the climate for the purposes of
agriculture (h).
In so large a district a great variety of soils must exist, but the moorish
and the mountainous predominate; even the more level and more genial
soils are cold from their substratums, and damp from the climate. The very
extensive masses of peat earth which abound much in this district, may be
reasonably regarded as a great cause of the cold moisture which pervades this
country, and sheds an unhappy influence over the cultivable soil (i). Yet is
there reason to believe that this vale was once much warmer, as the name of
the river imports in the original language ; as the ancient people and common
poets observed; and as modern notices evince from the remains of cultivation
upon the hills.
The Romans left the people of this country in a much more improved
state than they found them. From being hunters, they had advanced to
the state of graziers. They had even proceeded so far in the progress of
civilization as to plant orchards. The ancient poet Merthyn mentions,
with feelings of regret, the orchards of Cluyd; yet the practice of agri-
culture amidst a rude and irascible people was a plant of slow growth. It
certainly existed here in the state of husbandry during the reigns of king
William and Malcolm IV., as we know from their charters. The spirit of
improvement went forth over Scotland generally upon the peace of Aix-la-
Chapelle, 1748. Glasgow contained at that epoch about 20,000 people.
The modern melioration of land is supposed to have begun in Lanarkshire
about the year 1758, when the population of Glasgow amounted to about
24,000. When Wight came to Glasgow in 1777, which then contained
about 40,000 souls, and when he was on his way to survey Dumbartonshire,
he cried out, " In passing, I cannot omit the pleasure I had from a sight
(h) The medium height of the cultivated land may be stated at an average of 275 feet above the
sea level, which is not an elevation of great height. When compared with the altitudes of India and
America it cannot be regarded as high.
(i) In this district the quantity of each sort of soil is estimated thus :�
	Acres.
Moor pasture,           -	250,000
Woods,        -	8,290
Orchards,     -	200
Arable and meadow, -	181,090
The rent of pasture at 1s.     -	�10,900
arable at 15 2/3s. average, -	122,433