34: ON THE AGRICULTURE OF THE COUNTY OF FIFE. 



tliere are any, they are few and far between) would interrupt 

 the course of the tackle, while the advantages which the soil of 

 the county would derive from steam cultivation would he very 

 important indeed. It is admitted on all hands that steam cul- 

 tivation, wherever j)roperly managed, has had an extremely 

 beneficial effect on the soil ; and it is on such soil as that of 

 Fifeshire that its influence would be felt the most. The soil of 

 Fifeshire, as a rule, requires deep cultivation, and much of it 

 being very stiff and adhesive, horses are severely tried in work- 

 ing it. Though it has not yet been used very extensively, steam- 

 power has been employed less or more on a number of farms in 

 the county for several years. The Scottish Steam Cultivation 

 Company has always two, and often three tackles working in 

 the county, while two or three private tackles are also employed. 

 Mr Eintoul of Lawhill works one tackle on his own estate, and 

 the Hon. George Waldegrave Leslie of Leslie purchased an 8-horse 

 power steam tackle that was exhibited at the Higldand and 

 Agricultural Society's Show at Glasgow last summer ; while we 

 unde'\$cand that Mr T. L. M. Cartwright of Melville has arranged 

 to get a similar one. The Scottish Steam Cultivation Company 

 is fortunate in having for its Fifeshire rejDresentative Mr Bethune 

 of Blebo, a gentleman who has long advocated the desu-ability 

 of the adoption of steam cultivation, and who himself adopts it so 

 far as is practicable. He is one of the directors of the company, 

 and takes a very lively interest in everything pertaining to its 

 welfare and to the advancement of the great cause it seeks to pro- 

 mote. The company's tackles employed in Fifeshire are under 

 the able management of Mr Gilchrist, Carvenom, Anstruther — 

 a careful systematic farmer, with extensive experience in steam 

 cultivation. 



Buildings, Roads, Fences, and Drains. 



Buildings. — As abeady hinted, Fifeshire stands pre-eminent 

 in the matter of houses of all kinds. The dwelling-houses of 

 the farmers, with a few exceptions, are of the first order. They 

 are generally large and conveniently constructed, while with 

 respect to architectural appearance, many of them are very hand- 

 some. As abeady stated, the number of proprietors' houses is 

 very large, and of these by far the majority are very handsome 

 structures, surrounded by most magnificent gardens. It is not to 

 the landlords' residences alone, however, that the fine gardens are 

 confined. They are to be found all over the countr}^, almost every 

 inhabited house, even the majority of the smallest cottages of the 

 labourers being encircled by their fruitful gardens. The climate of 

 the county is extremely favourable for the growth of fruit, and 

 the crop of fruit of all descriptions which some of these neat 

 little gardens produce in a year is perfectly marvellous. House 



