A
few public-spirited landowners led the way, and formed themselves
into a society for carrying out improvements in agriculture.
They granted long leases of farms as a stimulus to the most
skilled and industrious, and found it to their interest to give
the farmer a more permanent interest in his improvements than he
had before enjoyed. Thus stimulated and encouraged, farming made
rapid progress, especially in the Lothians; and the example
spread into other districts. Banks were established for the
storage of capital. Roads were improved, and communications
increased between one part of the country and another. Hence
trade and commerce arose, by reason of the facilities afforded
for the interchange of traffic. The people, being fairly
educated by the parish schools, were able to take advantage of
these improvements. Sloth and idleness gradually disappeared,
before the energy, activity, and industry which were called into
life by the improved communications.
At the same time, active and powerful minds were occupied in
extending the domain of knowledge. Black and Robison, of
Glasgow, were the precursors of James Watt, whose invention of
the condensing steam-engine was yet to produce a revolution in
industrial operations, the like of which had never before been
known. Watt had hit upon his great idea while experimenting with
an old Newcomen model which belonged to the University of
Glasgow.
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