102 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURE OF AYRSHIRE. 



horses, and thus giving about 23 acres of tilled land to each 

 horse. A farm of 175 acres, near Kilmarnock, all clayish loam, 

 with the exception of about 25 acres light land, worked mostly 

 on a 9-year rotation, and having about 80 acres annually under 

 tillage, or rather less, requires 5 work horses, giving about 16 

 acres of tilled land to each. Another of 110 acres, mostly 

 .strong land, worked on a 10-year rotation, and having about 40 

 acres annually under tillage, keeps constantly 3 work horses, 

 and thus giving only 13 acres to each. An inland farm of 80 

 acres wrought under the " Fairlie rotation," with consequently 

 about 20 acres under tillage annually, cannot do with less than 

 a pair of work horses, which of course gives only 10 acres of 

 tilled land to each. On the class of farms last mentioned, in- 

 deed, the horses stand great part of their time idle in the stable, 

 '• eating their heads off;" although many of the small farmers 

 find occasional employment for them in carting coals, wood, 

 road-metal, &c. Excepting the few young ones reared, horses 

 are seldom or never seen grazing on the fields during summer. 

 As a whole, the work horses are of an excellent kind, strong and 

 active; although, probably, Ayrshire is still somewhat behind 

 her neighbours on the north and north-east — the head-quarters 

 of the Clydesdale breed — in respect of first-class studs. Hearing 

 of horses for sale is now followed by only a very few, chiefly in 

 Beith and Kilbirnie districts, although very many still bring up 

 a foal occasionally to renew their stock. In the tract of country 

 lying to the south-east of Ayrshire, from Dumfries westwards by 

 Castle- Douglas, Kircudbright, &c, rearing of horses as a branch 

 of farm business is made much more of, and these are mostly 

 bought up by Glasgow and Ayrshire " coupers," who again 

 expose them for sale at the various west country fairs, and some 

 of them doubtless finding their way ultimately to the east coast. 

 A weekly market for the sale of fat cattle and sheep, as well as 

 for Ayrshire stock generally, and also sales by auction in 

 " auction marts," are held every Tuesday throughout the year at 

 Ayr ; but most of the feeders either dispose of their fat stock 

 privately, or else by public auction at their homesteads, on a 

 fixed day duly advertised. Sample graiu-markcts are held in 

 the Corn Exchange at Ayr every Tuesday, and in the Corn Ex- 

 change at Kilmarnock every Friday, besides smaller sample 

 markets, but regularly weekly, on other days of the week, at Gir- 

 van, Irvine, and Saltcoats. There are no fewer than 73 regu- 

 larly recurring annual fairs throughout the year, for general 

 business, and the sale of Ayrshire cattle of all ages, horses, 

 sheep, pigs, &c, distributed amongst 27 of the various Ayrshire 

 towns and villages. Tbe principal of these for Ayrshire cattle 

 are frequently attended by purchasers from England and Ireland.. 

 and occasionally also from America and the Continent. Some 



