272 ON THE PINUS PINASTEK OR CLUSTEK PINE. 



and to reserve the Pinaster only for use in sucTi sandy stretches 

 on shoreland situations, as will carry no other variety, but where 

 the individual qualifications of this pine render it a most 

 valuable acquisition for such positions. 



ON IMPROVEMENTS ON THE ESTATE OF HALLHEAD, 



ABERDEENSHIRE. 



By Hary Shaw, Bogfern, Tarland. 



[Premium — The Minor Gold Medal.] 



The estate of Hallhead is the property of Henry Wolrige 

 Gordon, Esq. of Esslemont and Hallhead, in the parish of 

 Leochel-Cushnie, and county of Aberdeen, situated on the rising- . 

 ground between the rivers Dee and Don, about 7 miles from 

 each, from 27 to 30 miles inland from Aberdeen. The arable 

 land on the estate is from 900 to 1200 feet above the level of 

 the sea. The plantations are from 1200 to 2000 feet above sea- 

 level. In giving a brief statement of the improvements on the 

 estate, the writer wdll not attempt to contrast it with what it 

 was in his grandfather's or great-grandfather's days, but w^hat 

 it was and what it is in his own recollection and observation. 

 About the year 1820 agriculture was in a very backward, rude 

 condition ; the land was ploughed with 12 oxen to the plough, — 

 such ploughing as it got. There were no carts on the estate 

 before that time ; the making of a new plough cost one shilling, 

 the farmer supplying the wood, the coulter, and the sock. Before 

 the introduction of carts on the estate, the dung was taken to 

 the fields on horses' backs, with curruks and packets. The crops 

 w^ere taken to the stackyard in the same manner; the oats were 

 carried to the meal mill on the horses' backs, and the meal mill 

 and kiln at that time were of very ancient construction. The 

 distillation of smuggled wdiisky was a very common practice, and 

 the tenants devoted the most of their time and attention to the 

 brewing of w^hisky in place of attending to the improvement of 

 their farms. About the year 1824 new ploughs and carts were 

 introduced into the estate from Aberdeen, and a spirit of improve- 

 ment began. There were no threshing-mills on the estate until 

 1832, and at present there are 13. Between 1832 and_1840 the 

 taking in of waste land commenced, and lime was driven from 

 Aberdeen and applied at the rate of from 16 to 20 bolls to the 

 imperial acre, which was found to raise very profitable crops of 

 all kinds of cereals, turnips, and grass where the land was dry; 

 but the tenants found, by experience, that lime was of no use to 

 land that was wet. The tenants then petitioned the late factor, 

 Andrew Eoss, Esq., banker, Tarland, to apply for a grant of the 



