46 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURE OF AYRSAIRE. 



Inverness-shire, Ross-shire, &c. Linfairn keeps a dairy of 20 

 Ayrshire cows, rearing all the calves, and a few more generally, 

 which get as much milk as they can take for three or four 

 months, when cheese-making begins in the latter part of the 

 season. Only a few of the old cows are fed ; and the rest of the 

 turnips are given to the young cattle and hoggs in winter, when 

 the grass fails in January or so. About 140 acres are arable 

 around Linfairn House, but only 90 acres of it tilled, of which 

 15 acres are broken up yearly. 



On the hilly tract to the east of Largs parish, a mixed 

 system of sheep, meadow, and dairy farming is followed. The 

 sheep-stocks in general are blackfaced, crossing in many cases 

 now with Cheviot rams. The large farm of Outerwards, how- 

 ever, north of Largs, and one or two others, are stocked with 

 Cheviots. A fifth part of the old ewes on most of these farms 

 are sold about the end of September to low-country farmers, who 

 fatten them off for the butchers ; a corresponding number of 

 lambs being kept as holding stock. On some, however, wedder 

 stocks are kept, usually sold off at 3 and 4 years old. The 

 " hoggs " are regularly sent down to some low-country dairy 

 grass farm for wintering, at varying rates per head according to 

 quality of keep ; and that is common with all the sheep farmers 

 round about. Large dairies are wrought by most of these sheep 

 men in the north-east of Cunningham ; there being good de- 

 mand and high prices for butter during summer, at the adjacent 

 "watering-places" of Largs, Fairley, Millport, &c. The cows 

 are wintered chiefly on " bog-hay, " of which large crops are 

 secured ; many of these farms not growing more than a couple 

 of acres or so each of oats and turnips. The climate of that 

 corner of Ayrshire is extremely wet, and it is generally the 

 middle of September ere the hay is all safe, whilst the oats are 

 often not even cut down at a later date. 



The majority of Ayrshire sheep-farmers now are " dipping " 

 the sheep instead of " smearing ; " olive oil being used in some 

 cases along with the " composition " for improving the wool. 

 The principal sheep, lamb, and wool, fairs, in the county, are at 

 Dalmellington, Barrhill, and Auchinleck, towards the end of 

 August. 



The reporter cannot close this section without taking notice 

 of his near neighbour, Mr. Eobert J. Thomson, Grange, Kilmar- 

 nock. This gentleman of late years has opened up quite a new 

 path in the way of " field experimental farming," which Pro- 

 fessor Anderson has advocated very strongly, and is now mak- 

 ing all his calculations on the hints thrown out by Mr. Thomson. 

 The apparatus and arrangements of sorts at Grange are most com- 

 plete, and probably not equalled for effectiveness in the kingdom. 

 Mr. Thomson's general system is purely "crop husbandry," 



