22 ON THE AGKICULTUEE OF THE COUNTY OF FIFE. 



being 460 acres. Mr Henry Heggie leases a valuable holding of 

 300 acres at the south corner of Beath, known by the modern 

 title of Mains of Beath. The soil is naturally good, and under 

 five years' liberal treatment from Mr Heggie, has improved 

 immensely. The farm is worked by four pairs of superior 

 Clydesdale horses, the system of rotation being the six shifts. 

 Mr Heggie cultivates carefully, and manures very heavily, and 

 produces excellent crops of all kinds. His Swedish turnips this 

 }-ear are very superior. They are I'egular and very large, and 

 look like affording a yield of from twenty-eight to thirty tons per 

 acre, a yield which Mr Heggie has produced more than once. 

 In addition to a large supply of farm-yard manure, they got six 

 cwt. of artificial manure per acre, viz., 1 cwt. of nitrate of 

 soda, 3 cwt. dissolved bones, and 2 cwt. bone meal. Mr Heggie 

 keeps eight or ten very superior cross cows, and with these and 

 a good shorthorn bull prodnces stock that invarial)ly carries the 

 places of honour at the Dunfermline Cattle Show. He was 

 first last two summers with two-year old cattle at this show, 

 and had also some prizes for sheep of his own breeding. He 

 buys in calves to feed, and sells them off when from sixteen to 

 eighteen months old, at from L.'21 to L.22. For two-year olds 

 bred by himself he has frequently received as much as L.36; 

 whQe his hoggs generally bring about 50s. at the markets in 

 early sunnner. The houses on the farm are good, but fences 

 are very deficient. He has drained a great deal at his own 

 expense during the past five years, and has now got it into 

 excellent order. A few miles further west, and we reach the 

 thriving town of Dunfermline. In the parish which bears the 

 name of this town there is a large number of very fine farms, 

 though the Dunfermline district is equally as famous in the 

 mining and manufacturing as in the agricviltural world. In the 

 immediate neighbourhood of the town there are several large 

 holdings. Little more than a mile north of the town lies the 

 farm of Ballyeoman, occupied by Mr Henry Thompson. It 

 extends to 212 acres, and is rented at L.329. The soil 

 is composed of clay, of a strong adhesive character, and the 

 systein of rotation is the six shifts. Grain averages from five to 

 six quarters, and weighs — barley, 55 lbs. i)er bushel; oats, 42 

 lbs.; wheat, 63 lbs.; and beans, 64 lbs. Mr Thompson cultivates 

 well, ploughing stubble to the depth of about nine inches, and 

 lea seven inches, and manures equally well. For turnips, he 

 gives twenty tons farm-yard manure, three cwt. Peruvian guano, 

 and two cwt. dissolved bones per acre ; and for potatoes about 

 twenty-five tons of farm-yard manure, without any artificial 

 stuffs. He keeps a few cross cows, and rears calves from these 

 and shorthorn bulls. He buys in a large number, however, 

 sometimes Irish, and sometimes home-bred cattle. The home- 



