42 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURE OF AYRSHIRE. 



the farm-yard manure at Lagg is unusually good, from a large 

 number of pigs being fed upon the dung-stead. The dung-stead, 

 however, i3 not covered. We only know of 3 cases of * c roofed 

 in " steads in Ayrshire, although, of course, manure made under 

 cover in sheds and straw-yards is very common. The covered 

 dung-stead at Kincaidstone, the property of James Morton, Esq. 

 of Belmont, is an admirable instance of the utility of this sort of 

 thing. The kinds of wheat sown at Lagg are — Drewitt's, woolly 

 eared, Archer's prolific. Kinds of oats sown — potato, Canadian, 

 Tarn Finlay, black Tartarian. 27 milch cows are kept, but 

 only half a dozen or so of the quey calves reared to hold for 

 stock. The fatting cattle are of all kinds (excepting " Irish"), 

 but young farrow Ayrshire cows and shorthorn crosses are pre- 

 ferred ; the latter mostly so, if they can be procured at a reason- 

 able price. The beasts are mostly tied up, but the young ones 

 generally in loose boxes. Cheviot ewes crossed with Leicester 

 rams are maintained on the hill, and the lambs fed off on 

 turnips, &c. 



On the 50 acres of low land, the diluted "cattle-urine manure 

 is distributed by gutta-percha hose screwed on to stop-cocks in 

 the iron pipes which convey it from the steading, placed at con- 

 venient distances throughout the four fields. All the urine and 

 waste liquid of every sort goes into the tanks, and they hold 

 about 70,000 gallons. The fall for some distance from the tanks 

 is very little, but gradually increases, till just above the low 

 ground the liquid descends about 80 feet. In spring the liquid 

 is diluted about half and half with water and in summer 

 about frds water to Jrd urine. The 50 acres are worked 

 on a 4-shift — viz., (1) Italian rye-grass, sown with the wheat 

 crop about the middle of April, at the rate of 3^ bushels of 

 seed, along with 21b. each of red and alsyke clovers, per scotch 

 acre. (2) Broadcast beans, without manure. (3) Green crop of sorts, 

 manured with nearly 40 carts of farm-yard dung, 2 cwt. Peruvian 

 guano, and 4 cwt. bones, per Scotch acre. (4) Wheat, with- 

 out manure. Only the Italian rye-grass break gets liquid-manure, 

 so that each field comes in for its turn of irrigation once in 4 

 years. In seasons of sufficient warmth of sun, 4 good cuttings are 

 taken from at least part of the Italian break, and 3 off the re- 

 mainder ; and Mr. Ralston estimates the average of green grass 

 obtained each year per Scotch acre at about 25 tons. From the 

 appearance of the crops of Italian which the reporter has seen 

 growing at Lagg now and again, he would have estimated the 

 yearly yield fully higher than what Mr. Ralston does, but of course 

 Mr. Ralston knows best. In good season, 6 head of cattle are 

 fattened to the Scotch acre of it, or 60 head to the break, besides 

 the dairy cows and horses occasionally getting a little. They 



