TO REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURE OF AYRSHIRE. 



which, innutritions even as it is, is still superior to ryegrass hay, 

 or the general run of oat straw. These bog meadows, if partially 

 drained and limed, would grow magnificent crops of Timothy- 

 grass, infinitely superior both for bulk and quality, to the present 

 '• sprett hay " — although it is but right to state, that during the 

 last 25 years, large portions of many have been thus improved. 

 In a dairy county like Ayrshire, the system of irrigating grass 

 land for permanent hay crops is one of the most valuable of im- 

 provements. The produce of such meadow land in nutritious- 

 ness, where properly sown down at first, is vastly superior 

 to either oat straw or thrashed rye-grass hay, — that will be 

 granted by every one ; and in possession of such a meadow, the 

 dairy fanner could graze with his youug bestial and a few sheep, 

 •the whole or greater part of his first year's grass from seeds, to 

 the immense advantage of the pasturage after. Water meadows 

 entail no expense for manure. All that is required after they 

 are properly formed and levelled, and sown down, being a know- 

 ledge of the right times to lay on and take off the water. They 

 annually furnish a large amount of useful and nourishing food, 

 and the manure made from the animals fed thereon, goes to en- 

 rich the fields under tillage. There are few counties in the 

 kingdom presenting greater facilities than Ayrshire for the profit- 

 able application of running water from passing rivulets. These re- 

 ceive the drainage water rich with fertilising matter, and there are 

 hundreds of low lying fields on to which they could be conven- 

 iently turned, and the land converted at little expense, into most 

 remunerative meadows. There may be more, but the reporter is 

 aware of only some half-dozen artificial (regularly formed and 

 sluiced) meadows presently in Ayrshire. One he has known inti- 

 mately for about 30 years, since it was made in fact, and by much 

 the greater porti< >n of the herbage now consists of Meadow Foxtail, 

 with more or less of Timothy, Meadow Fescue, &c. The soil of this 

 meadow is a deep medium loam incumbent upon moss, and it is 

 still as productive, if not more so, as during its first decade. 

 One year with another it will yield about '6 tons of first-rate 

 hay per imp. acre, besides after-grazing for calves and sheep. 

 The grass, however, is partly used green for soiling. A second 

 cut of hay might be had, but cannot well be taken from the 

 backwardness and wetness of Ayrshire climate, and after-grazing 

 with young stock and sheep probably pays better. 



P.esides the regular sheep and cattle hill-pasture, there is a 

 large acreage of old permanent grass of first-rate quality, gene- 

 rally attached to and mostly in the immediate vicinity of land- 

 owner's seats, amounting to — say 7 or 8000 acres. This is annu- 

 ally let by public roup, and taken by farmers and cattle-dealers 

 as summer-grazing for their young stock, &c, at varying rents, 

 according to quality and times. 



