Roxburghshire

ROXBURGHSHIRE, border county, Scotland, bounded west by Berwickshire, east and south-east by Northumberland, south by Cumberland, south-west by Dumfriesshire and north west by Selkirkshire and Midlothian. It has an area of 426,028 ac. (excluding water). The only low ground is in the north and in the valleys of the larger rivers, and the whole of the south is markedly hilly, though the Cheviots, forming for a con siderable distance the natural boundary with England, mostly belong to Northumberland. The Tweed flows through the north of the shire for 26 out of its total run of 97 m., though for about 2 m. (near Abbotsford) it is the boundary stream with Selkirk shire, and for io m. lower down with Berwickshire. On the right its affluents are the Bowden and the Teviot, and on the left the Allan and the Eden. The Teviot is the principal river entirely in Roxburghshire. From its source near Causeway Grain Head on the Dumfriesshire border, it follows mainly a north-easterly direc tion of 37 m. to its confluence with the Tweed at Kelso. The Liddel is the main stream in the S. Rising near Peel Fell in the Cheviots it flows south-west to the Esk after a course of 27 m., receiving on the right Hermitage Water, on the left Kershope Burn. The Kershope and Liddel, during part of their run, serve as boundaries with Cumberland. Excepting the Liddel, which drains to the Esk, much the greater portion of the surface is drained, by the Tweed, to the North Sea. Teviotdale, Liddesdale, Tweedside and Jedvale are the principal valleys. The county contains a considerable range of sedimentary rocks from the Ordovician to the Carboniferous systems, and with these are associated large tracts of volcanic rocks. The Ordovician and Silurian rocks occupy the N.W. and W. part of the county. Two divisions of the Old Red Sandstone occur; the lower is confined to the Cheviots ; the strata are unconformable upon the upturned Silurian beds. The upper division, which in its turn is unconform able upon the lower, occupies about one-third of the county, be ing well developed in the north, where volcanic rocks come in.

Carboniferous rocks are represented by the Calciferous sandstone series in the south-west in Liddesdale and on the uplands of Carter Fell, etc. An interesting series of volcanic "necks" belonging to the Carboniferous period is exemplified in Dunain Black Law, Maiden Paps, Ruberslaw and other hills. Glacial deposits are represented by boulder clay and beds of sand and gravel.

Agriculture and Industries.

The soil is chiefly loam in the level tracts along the banks of the larger streams, where it is also very fertile. In other districts a mixture of clay and gravel is mostly found, but there is besides a considerable extent of mossy land. Of the area under grain about three-quarters are occupied by oats, the remainder being principally barley. Among green crops turnips and swedes are most generally cultivated, potatoes covering a comparatively small acreage. In different parts of Tweedside and Jedvale several kinds of fruit are suc cessfully grown. Both in the pastoral and arable localities agri culture is in an advanced condition. The hill country is every where covered with a thick green pasturage admirably suited for sheep, which occupy the walks in large quantities. The herds of cattle are also heavy, horses are kept mostly for farming opera tions, and pigs are raised in moderate numbers. About of the holdings are large, the average being 150 acres. Many districts on the Tweed and Teviot are beautifully wooded.

The county is a principal seat of the tweed and hosiery manu factures in Scotland. Ironfounding and dyeing are also carried on at Hawick and tanning at Jedburgh, and agricultural imple ments, chemical manures and fishing tackle are made at Kelso. The salmon fisheries on the Tweed are of considerable value.

The Waverley route of the L.N.E. railway runs through the county from near Melrose in the north to Kershopefoot in the south. At St. Boswells branches are sent off to Duns and Reston, and to Jedburgh and Kelso via Roxburgh. There is also a line from Berwick to Kelso, via Coldstream and Carham.