REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURE OF AYRSHIRE. 21 



REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURE OF AYRSHIRE, 

 By Archibald Sturrock, Struthers Cottage, Kilmarnock. 



Premium : Thirty Sovereigns. 



The most southerly of the western shires, Ayrshire, conjoined 

 with Renfrewshire, is generally spoken of as being par eminence 

 " the west-country : " East-Lothian and Berwickshire in common 

 parlance being similarly distinguished as " the east-country." 

 Ayrshire is outlined somewhat like a half-moon, with the con- 

 cavity embracing the sea. From the northernmost point on 

 Kelly burn in Largs parish, to the Galloway marchburn on the 

 north shore of Lochryan, the length on a bee-line is fully 60 

 miles ; keeping by the contour of sea-coast, it extends to 70 

 miles ; and going from horn to* horn through the heart of the 

 county as the crow Hies, the real length will be about 80 miles. 

 The breadth varies from 3 to 4 miles at the extreme points to 

 about 28 in the middle, — the widest part being across Kyle, 

 from Troon harbour to the source of the Ayr water at Glenbuck, 

 and the average breadth may be set down as about 15 miles. 



Historically and popularly, the county is composed of three 

 large districts or divisions, — Carrick, Kyle, and Cunningham, — 

 and which partitioning is still recognised and of good service for 

 several local purposes, though long since obsolete politically. 

 Carrick includes that portion lying south of the Uiver Doon ; 

 and is bounded on the east by Kirkcudbrightshire, and south- 

 wards by Wigtonshire and Lochryan. This division contains 

 an area of about 2<S0,000 statute acres, of which about 34 per- 

 cent, it is estimated — viz., 95,000, are under cultivation. Kyle 

 occupies the centre of the ..county, lying between the Doon and 

 the Irvine waters, and is bounded on its eastern side by the 

 shires of Kirkcudbright, Dumfries, and Lanark. The total 

 land-surface of Kyle is about 270,C00 statute acres, of which 

 fully 40 per cent, it is estimated — say 115,000 acres, are under 

 cultivation. The northern division of Cunningham, though the 

 least in extent, is by much the most populous, and a much greater 

 proportion of its surface is culturable, than in either of the other 

 two. Cunningham comprehends all north of the River Irvine, 

 and marches along the whole of its north and north-eastern 

 border with Renfrewshire, excepting a few miles due east at 

 Drumclog Moor, where the parish of Avondale in. Lanarkshire 

 conies in. It has a total area of about 185,000 statute acres, of 

 which about 57 per cent, it is estimated — viz., 105,000 acres, 

 are under cultivation. 



The total area of the county is 1149 square miles, or 735,202 

 statute acres. Less than one-half, or 315,000 acres, may be put 



