REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURE OF AYRSHIRE. 37 



quarters (Scots), and the price only 34s. Balsaggart truly affirms, 

 that, " arable farming has been a very unprofitable investment 

 for several years, and unless prices and seasons greatly change. 

 for the better very soon, a complete turn over of the farmers in 

 that district maybe looked for." From the great increase of 

 game (hares and rabbits), carrots are not now grown. 



A dairy stock of 25 cows is kept at Balsaggart, served with 

 a shorthorn bull, and timed to calve in February or March. The 

 cross-calves are all reared, and about other 8 cpaey calves (Ayr- 

 shires) bought in to keep up the cow stock. These 33 calves 

 get all the milk, with oilcake, till about 1st June, when the 

 manufacture of cheddar cheese is begun, — the calves receiving 

 cake for another month without milk. The calves are wintered 

 on cut turnips and linseed-cake, and pastured next summer till 

 September, when they are sold for feeding off in their second 

 winter (rising 2-years old.) Mr. M'Clymont himself feeds his aged 

 cows, a few of the " shot" young stock, and one or two more — 

 say 20 in all ; and besides, about 200 half-bred hoggets (Cheviot 

 and Leicester), are purchased in August, and sold off fat about 

 May following. An effort was made about 1847 by the famed 

 " iSt. Quivox Club M of that time, to introduce the shorthorn 

 breed more generally amongst feeders, but it failed in producing 

 any effect, as shorthorn crosses are now more difficult to procure 

 than formerly. A sweepstake competition in shorthorns was 

 held at Ayr on 5th January 184-8, when 12 bulls and 3 heifers 

 came forward, and Mr. Stevenson, of Redside, Linton, awarded 

 the prizes thus : — first for aged bulls — the late Mr. John Gardi- 

 ner, Monktonhill ; first for young bulls— Mr. John M'Clymont, 

 Balsaggart ; and first for heifers — Mr. George Hendrie, High- 

 field (now in Craig, Straiton) ; but so far as we are aware, the 

 only shorthorn bulls presently in Ayrshire, is the one at Balsag- 

 gart, another at Woodlands (Mr. William Wright) near Gir- 

 van, and one lately brought into the county by J. N. Fleming, 

 Kilkerran House, Maybole — three in all. The last named gentle- 

 man since taking up his residence in Ayrshire has engaged most 

 energetically in farming pursuits, having leased the farm of 

 Drumburle on the Girvan, and all the land around Kilkerran 

 House ; and his personal competition, along with his hearty libe- 

 rality in offering money prizes for the best stock of all kinds, 

 have been most animating to the farmers of Carrick. 



Halfway between Troon and Monkton in Kyle, and fully One 

 mile inland, lies Monktonhill, possessed by Mr. John Hamilton, 

 and the property of the Luke of Portland. Extent 380 imp. 

 acres ; 300 acres, a deep fertile sandy-loam, and the rest of a 

 lighter sandy soil. Formerly a part of the farm was wrought on 

 a 4-year course, but the 80 acres of sand lying in grass becoming- 

 fogged, Mr. Hamilton is now ploughing it up, and putting the 



