38 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURE OF AYRSHIRE. 



whole farm under the prevailing 5 shift. Monktonhill is looked 

 upon as one of the best arable farms in Ayrshire, and has long got 

 every justice done to it, both under the late Mr. Gardiner, and the 

 equally skilful management of the present lessee. The lea- 

 break is entirely oats, and wheat alone follows the green-crop. 

 The green-crop break consists of 40 acres in turnips, 30 in pota- 

 toes, and 5 in mangolds. One year with another the turnip-crop 

 will average about 20 tons per imp. acre, but the farm is rather 

 subject to " finger-and-toe ;" one-half Swedish, sown the last 

 week in May, and the other half green-top yellow, sown about 

 the second week in June. The " young grasses " are entirely 

 grazed by hoggs, only so much hay being made as serves for the 

 home-stock ; and the second year from seeds by the dairy stock 

 of 21 cows, and from 50 to GO head of young cattle over summer 

 besides. From 12 to 16 calves from the milch stock are reared 

 each season. Mr. Hamilton feeds off for beef 50 head of cattle 

 annually, and about 250 sheep generally are kept for " hogging." 

 He consumes all his straw on the farm, besides purchasing 

 largely of feeding stuffs, guano, bones, &c. ; and upon the whole, 

 Monktonhill may be taken as a crack example of the pure 5- 

 shift course, including the Ayrshire feeders' custom of keeping 

 small dairy stocks. Many of the feeders, however, do not work 

 the milch cows themselves. Such well-known men, for instance, 

 as Mr. E. Guthrie, Crossburn, and Mr. A. M'Caw, Morriston, 

 feed largely at their homesteads, and let out their milch cows 

 " abowing" on out-steadings ; the former turning out from 60 to 

 70 fat beasts, and about 250 sheep, annually, and having some 

 90 milch cows let out in three separate "bowings." Besides 

 Monktonhill, Mr. Hamilton holds the farm of Springside (130 

 acres), in Dreg-horn parish, from Lord Eglinton. This out-farm 

 is managed much similarly to Monktonhill — excepting that, the 

 first year's grass is all cut for Lay. 



North-east of Monktonhill by Symington, Craigie, and Ric- 

 carton, parishes, green-cropping was pretty generally attempted 

 till of late, and is still by not a few although in smaller ex- 

 tent ; but more land thereabouts is now being sown down with 

 a second crop of oats, and whether green-cropped or not, a " seed- 

 hay " crop is generally taken, and lying in grass afterwards from 

 2 to 5 or 6 years. The same remark holds good in respect 

 to the parishes farther north — Kilmarnock, Kilmaurs, Dreghorn, 

 Stewarton, and Fenwiok. 



Trees farm (including Bogside and Howmuir) is tenanted by 

 Mr. John Cunningham, and belongs to the Marcpuis of Ailsa, 

 K.T. It is situated 1| miles north-west of Maybole on the 

 southern slope of Brown-Carrick-hill. Extent in all 769 imp. 

 acres— viz., 325 acres under rotation, and 444 acres hill pasture ; 

 although the latter, excepting 50 acres, had been cropped prior 



