It is believed in the neighbourhood of Melrose that burning the heather
brings rain.
It must be remarked that Tweeddale runs mainly west and east; that the
heather-covered hills are all to the _west_ of this place. West wind
brings rain.
†
In the north of England, and in Scotland, and probably in all moorland
districts of the country, it is the practice of shepherds in spring,
when the heather is dry enough, to set fire to it and burn large tracts
of it, in order to get rid of the old woody plants. The young heather
which springs up from the roots produces much better and more palatable
food for the sheep. In this process, which takes place at the same time
in a whole district (viz. when there has been no rain for some time),
the whole air becomes loaded with smoke, and a very misty state of the
atmosphere is produced. It is the general belief throughout the south of
Scotland and in the Cheviot range, that this burning "doth draw downe
rain."
Luckily this season, though there has been much moor burning, the
general expectation has been agreeably disappointed, and the weather has
now continued perfectly dry for several weeks, and appears likely to do
so for some time to come, to the great delight of the farmers, as most
propitious for sowing their grain of all kinds.