34 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURE OF AYRSHIRE. 



dairy systems are more fully noticed in other parts of the report. 

 The farm of Chapelton, tenanted by Mr. David Cuninghame, and 

 belonging to the Earl of Eglinton, is situated on the coast south 

 of West Kilbride village in Cunningham division. Extent, 250 

 imp. acres arable land, and 25 acres permanent grass. Chapelton 

 is managed upon a 5-year course — oats, green crop, wheat, and 

 two year's pasture. The green crop is almost entirely early 

 potatoes, and a crop of turnips is taken the same year on the 

 same land after the potatoes are lifted. The soil is of a light 

 quick nature, and having a good supply of sea-weed, the crops 

 can be forced. The sea-weed is collected off the tide, and 

 ploughed into the soil immediately after or as soon as possible. 

 The ground is again ploughed early in spring, and 5 cwt. per 

 acre of peruvian guano applied when the potatoes are planted. 

 Mr. Cuninghame's land is thoroughly clean of " couch " and 

 quicks," and the sea-wrack thus applied makes an excellent 

 manure for early potatoes. Kind of wheat sown is usually either 

 " woolly-eared " or " Hunter's -white," at the rate of 3 bushels 

 per acre, and about the end of November preferred for time of 

 sowing. No barley to speak of grown in that district. On the 

 higher parts of the farm turnips alone are grown as the cleaning 

 crop, and a small lot of cattle fattened with them during winter. 

 A dairy stock of 20 cows are kept, rearing nearly all the calves, 

 and, as soon as they are off the milk, cheese-making begins. The 

 young cattle, along with a small " hirsel " of Leicester sheep, 

 are grazed upon the upper portion of the arable pasture, and the 

 25 acres permanent grass, — the lambs off the ewes being sold for 

 early slaughter. Mr. Cuninghame took a prominent part in the 

 recent introduction of the Cheddar mode of cheese-making, and, 

 indeed, although more limited in extent of land than many, he 

 has always occupied a foremost place amongst Ayrshire agri- 

 culturists. The 5-year rotation is pretty general on all the low 

 lands between Ardrossan and Largs ; a large breadth of early 

 potatoes being planted, and the farmers mostly growing only a 

 small acreage of turnips, &c, for the dairy cows, as few cattle or 

 sheep are fed, except on the two or three- farms where regular 

 sheep stocks are kept. On the colder clay soils to the north-east 

 of West Kilbride, and round by Dairy, Beith, the higher parts of 

 Kilwinning, and Dunlop, the Fairlie system of two white crops 

 and six year's grass, is by much the commonest. 



Mr. James Eeid occupies the farm of Torcross (Paterson of 

 Montgomerie.) near Tarbolton, situated 4 miles inland in Kyle 

 at an altitude of about 200 feet. Extent, about 175 imp. acres 

 arable. One half of the farm is light dry soil, resting on a kind 

 of rotten whin, and the other half a strong clay. Mr. Eeid has 

 wrought the whole farm for a long time under the 6-year rota- 

 tion, including one year's hay and two years' pasture, with oats 



