178 OBKNEY. 



The length of daylight makes these islands a desirable 

 summer residence. I have myself read a newspaper 

 without difficulty at midnight in the month of June ; and 

 I have been told by a friend who lives in Orkney, that on 

 the shortest day he has read the Times at four o'clock 

 P.M. by daylight, or rather by the beautiful twilight of 

 that region, for in winter the sun is only about four hours 

 above the horizon. 



The soil is in many parts mossy, but there is almost 

 everywhere a stiff clay underneath, and this, when 

 ploughed up, and mixed with the moss, makes a very good 

 loam. In many places, the ground merely requires to be 

 "tickled with the plough, that it may smile with the 

 harvest," as somebody has said. 



There is, perhaps, no district in Scotland where BO 

 much is being done in the way of improving the land. 

 In 1814, very considerable progress had been made on 

 some of the larger estates in Orkney, more especially in 

 the North Isles, where turnips were pretty extensively 

 grown, and at least one flock of fine Cheviot merino sheep 

 was profitably kept ; but it was not until about twenty- 

 five years ago that the agricultural movement began in 



earnest. 



Previous to that time, the sea had been the sole support 

 of the working man. He rented land, and paid his rent 

 out of fish and seaweed. The women were generally 

 the farmers, while the men fished. 



It is not many years since Orkney made out of her 

 seaweed alone an annual income of 15,OOOZ., 20,OOOZ., 



