It would be unpardonable to omit noticing the active efforts of a Soch ty, formed in 1723 for the improvement of agriculture, consisting of the principal noblemen and gentlemen of Scotland, who continued their labours for more than twenty years, greatly to their own credit, and to the public benefit. Of this we have sufficient evidence from a volume of their Transactions, published in 1743 by Jr Maxwell of Ackland, under the auspices of the celebrated Mr Hope of Rankeillor, one of the most in telligent gentlemen of that period. The dedication to that volume shows something of the state of Scotland at that period, and proves that the endeavours of the nu merous members of the Society were of immense bene fit to the improvement of the country. In fact, the seed was at that time sown ; and though the Gull, in which it -t% as deposited, was of a sterile nature, yet an abundant crop was in due time reaped.
The most active and indefatigable member of that So ciety was Mr Hope of Rankeillor. This patriotic and well informed gentleman had, at an early period, studied agriculture, not only in England, but also in several foreign countries ; and being enthusiastically fond of this primitive art, he lost no opportunity of communicating his knowledge, not only to his brethren of the Society, but also to every other person who took the trouble of soliciting information. It is well known that the mea dow walks of Edinburgh were designed and laid out by this distinguished personage. The Aleadows, originally a morass, and called Straiton's Loch, were held by him, upon a lease, from the city of Edinburgh ; and upon them he executed improvements which excited the wonder and admiration of his contemporaries. At that period the situation of Edinburgh was very different from what it is at present. Bounded by the North Loch, then a sheet of water, and obstructed from all communication with the north, except by Leith Wynd and the West Church, the citizens could not take a walk, or breathe the fresh air, without being put to considerable incon venience. Moved by these circumstances, Mr hope projected the walks upon the south side of the city, and actually superintended their execution. These walks, at that time crowded by multitudes, are now in a manner deserted in favour of other places of public resort ; but this circumstance does not lessen the merits of fir Hope's benevolent and patriotic endeavours to serve the public. In short, Mr Hope was one of those public spirited men who rarely appear. lie was gifted by na ture with a well informed mind, and constantly exerted himself to promote rural improvement, justly consider ing it as the true source of national prosperity.
The endeavours of Mr Hope were warmly seconded by the dukes of Hamilton and Athole, lords Stair, IIopeton, Islay, and other members of the Edinburgh Society. Indeed the condition of Scotland at that time called for the utmost exertion of all its proprietors. Agriculture was in the most languid and feeble state. Occupiers of the ground were generally destitute of capi tal stock for carrying on improvements, and few of them were qualified for introducing them with success, even had the means been within their reach. Trades and manufactures were then in their infancy, and money was such a scarce article, that the circulating medium of the two Edinburgh banks, whose capital was below 200,000/.,
was quite sufficient for every useful purpose.. Under these circumstances, the situation of Scottish agricul ture, when this patriotic Society commenced their pro ceedings, may be easily ascertained. In short, rents were low, and the people were poor, being imperfectly fed, badly clothed, and often without employment. If the picture is brought forward, and made to include the state of the country at the period we are now writing, it will at once be discerned, that a complete alteration has taken place in all these circumstances ; and though it would be going too far, to place the whole alteration ro the credit of the Edinburgh Society, yet a doubt can not be entertained concerning the utility of their mea sures, or the effects which followed them.
But the merits of another individual, who was a mem ber of the Edinburgh Society, cannot be passed over on this occasion. This individual is John Cockburn, Esq. heritable proprietor of the lands of Ormiston, in the county of Haddington, who is descended from a family known for many ages to be firm friends to the liberty of the subject, and always disposed to promote every mea sure which had for its object the improvement of the country.
John Cockburn, Esq. of Ormiston, was born in the year 1685, and was the eldest son of Adam Cockburn of Ormiston, Justice Clerk of Scotland during the reigns of king William and queen Anne. Mr Cockburn, with the estate of Ormiston, inherited a large portion of gen uine patriotism, and warmly supported the Hanoverian succession, considering that family as well disposed to promote constitutional freedom. During his father's lifetime, he sat as a member of the last Scottish parlia ment, in which England and Scotland were united under one government, and took an active part in all the pro ceedings which happily terminated in connecting North and South Britain in the closest bond of union. After wards he was successively elected from 1707 to 1741 to represent the county of Haddington in the British Par liament, and for many years occupied the office of a lord of the admiralty, which, of course, occasioned him to reside much in England, and to become intimately acquainted with the rural practices of our southern neighbours. Though the low country districts of Scot land are at this day equally as well improved and cultiva ted as any of the English counties, yet their state was very different at the period under consideration. Lord Karnes, that excellent judge of mankind, and sound agriculturist, declares, in strong terms, that the tenantry of Scotland, at the end of the seventeenth and beginning of the eighteenth century, were so benumbed with op pression or poverty, that the most able instructer in hus bandry would have made nothing of them. Fletcher of Salton, a contemporary of Mr Cockburn, describes their situation as truly deplorable. In fact, many farms re mained unoccupied ; even tenants rarely accepted of lea ses, at least, they were shy, and unwilling to accept them for any considerable number of years ; hence improvement of every kind was totally neglected, and the general po verty of the tenantry necessarily occasioned landed pro perty to be of little value ; because, while rents were trifling, they were also ill paid, which of course placed many proprietors in something like a state of mendicity.