PEEBLES-SHIRE, or TWEEDDALE, an Miami county in the south of Scotland, bounded N. by Ediuburghshire, E. by the counties of Selkirk and Edinburgh, S. by those of Selkirk and Dumfries, and W. by Lauarksbira, Is situated between 55° 24' and 55° 50' N. lat., 2' 45' and 3" 33' W. long. Its greatest length from north to south is 30 miles, and the greatest width from east to west rather less than 22 miles. The area is 354 square miles, or 220,488 acres; the popu lation In 1841 was 10,499; in 1851 it was 10,738.
Surface, Ilydrography, and general elevation of exceeds that of any other county in the south of Scotland. The must mountainous parts extend from the south-east to the south-western extremities of the county, including the sources of the Clyde, the Tweed, and the Annau. On the north-east a lofty ridge of mountains separates this county from Edioburghahire; and on the north-west it is separated from the Fenno county by the Pent lend Hills, among which the North Esk, the Leith Water, and the Lyue (a tributary of the Tweed), have their rise. The principal elevations are Culterfell, Carden, and DollarLaw, the summit of each of which is more than 2400 feet above the sea-level; Hartfell (2635 feet) and Broadlaw (2741 feet). The hills and mountains in Tweedsmuir afford good pasturage for sheep and black cattle.
The Tweed rises just beyond the limits of the county, to the north of Ericketane, a hill in Dumfries-shire, near Moffat. After it reaches the town of Peebles, its course is nearly due east through the county, which It quite • few miles below 'purl*!then. The numerous rivulets which intorwet the county are nearly all to'britaries of the Tweed. The thief of these are--the Len; which itself has numerous small tributaries; the Peebles, or Eslalestone, which falls Into the Tweed at the Wen of Peebles; the Leithen, In the east of the county; the Miner, and the Qui; which last falls into the Tweed, near the seat of the Earl of 'Prequels.. All these streams contain salmon and trout Lamle's. Loch Is a small lake in the north-east part of the count; from which the South Fak takes its rise. It abounds with pike, perch, and sole, and is the resort of large flocks of wild fowl during summer.
The county le well Intersected by roads, which are for the most part kept in good repair. The principal are those connecting Edin burgh and Moffat, and Lanark and Kelso. The former wind, through the valley of the Tweet! In a single line for about 15 miles, after which It separates into two branches. one paring through Broughton, the other through Eddlestone, which again meet upon the borders of Ediaburgkehir; The road from Lanark to Kelso is the means of communication with Cleves.. and crosses the county from north-west to rut pusing through Problem.
Goa , ke.—The prevailing rock is granwacke, or as it Is called here we1oetooe, of which there are some excellent quarries in the vicinity of Peebles, and from which the town has been chiefly built ; but that which is found in other part. is, from its laminated structure, unsuitable for building; some of it serves as rooting-elate. White and rod fnmtone are common in the north, and both coal and lime stove have long been wrought st Carlopa, in the pariah of Linton.
Clieusse, Soil, end Ayrieultrre.—The climate is keen, but less severe than that of Edinburgh. The mean annual temperature of Tweeds muir, the most elevated parish in the county, was 45' in 1828; the mean height of the barometer at the town of Peebles, which is 515 feet above the sea-level, is 292 inches in summer, and 29 inches in winter; and the indications of a rain-gauge, kept at the same place, open an avera;e of seven years, give an annual fall of 2615 inches. The fogs so often met with in the Lothians seldom extend into this county. In the !ewer parts of the county much attention has been 'to rotation of crops and the application of tho new manures. are generally granted for 19 years, but farms purely of the store kind are let, for 11 years only. The arable farms vary in extent from 40 to 200 acres; the sheep firms from 600 to 4000 acres. Inclesures and plant:0g are on the increase. Since the commence ment of the present century the Cheviot breed of sheep has been introduced, and has increased rapidly. Other breeds have also been introduced from England with much advantage.