3G ON THE AGUICULTURE OF THE COUNTY OF FIFE. 



few farms are undoubtedly well fenced — two or three completely 

 enclosed — but, speaking of the county generally, there is a great 

 and a much-felt want of fences. Ring fences, or fences which 

 separate farms, are pretty complete in most parts, but on a very 

 large majority of the farms of the county interior fences are 

 almost entirely wanting, or at least are very partially provided. 

 In the grazing districts of the county fences are pretty plentiful, 

 but in the parts where the six-shift system of rotation obtains — 

 and these parts represent by far the greater portion of the county 

 — they are very scarce indeed. So few cattle and sheep being 

 grazed in these last-mentioned parts, the want of fences of course 

 presses much more lightly than it would otherwise do; but still 

 it is felt and complained of too, and we doubt not but fencing 

 ■will occupy a prominent place among the Fifeshire agricultural 

 improvements of the immediate future. Thorough fencing is an 

 inestimable boon to the farmer, and. in fact is almost indispens- 

 able on a grazing farm. Of the fences which presently exist in 

 Fife, wire predominates, but there are also a good many dykes 

 and a considerable stretch of hedging. Whether for substantiality 

 ■or shelter, hedging forms the best fence of all, and is being adopted 

 ■much more largely now than formerly. A large number of 

 farmers fence their grass fields with portable wire fences. 



Drains. — The drainage of the county is in a most efficient state. 

 The greater portion was very fairly drained many years ago; and 

 ■during the past thirty or forty years the whole of the county 

 lias been thoroughly redrained ; a good deal of it twice over. In 

 many parts the subsoil is exceedingly retentive, and could not be 

 thoroughly dried till perfectly " riddled" with drains. On several 

 farms the drains are not more than from twelve to fourteen feet 

 apart, and still all their " drawing" powers are taxed to the utter- 

 most. In the early days of draining, stones were used exclusively, 

 and are so still when they can be had conveniently. It is very 

 seldom, however, that they can be obtained, and in a large 

 majority of cases tiles are substituted. The average depth of 

 drains is about four feet, and the cost from 3s. to 4s. 6d. per 

 chain. On some farms the soil is so extremely soft and free of 

 stones that no pick is required in cutting the drains, and of 

 course in these cases the cost is a little less. The beneficial 

 effect which superior drainage has had on the soil of Fifeshire 

 has been inestimable. Drainage, in fact, has changed much of 

 it from being perfectly useless to valuable arable land. A large 

 amount of Government money has been expended on draining in 

 the county. 



Grain Crops. 



Fifeshire is an extensive grain-producing county. In fact, as 

 already stated, the great aim of its farmers is to produce the best 



