REPORT ON THE AGRICULTURE OF PERTHSHIRE. 169 



are susceptible of further improvement, and the thorough drain- 

 age cannot be complete or permanent until they are deepened to 

 a greater extent. 



Next in importancehavebeenthe additions to the farm steadings, 

 on which large sums have been expended. They were rendered 

 necessary by the greater quantity of stock both wintered and fed, 

 and the progress in the ideas of farmers as to what was required 

 in the way of houses in order to do their stock justice. The 

 landlords have responded to this demand. They saw the neces- 

 sity ; that their own interest was involved in meeting it ; and that 

 by supplying their tenants with the means of feeding stock and 

 of keeping the produce on the farm, the condition of the land 

 would be maintained and improved. This accommodation for 

 cattle has been given in different ways, by feeding byres and by 

 sheds with open courts for wintering younger cattle, and also lat- 

 terly by covered courts, which can be used either for wintering 

 cattle or by subdivisions as boxes for feeding. There can be no 

 doubt that these covered courts have considerable advantages. 

 They are the cheapest mode of getting a covered area applicable to 

 the keeping of any kind of stock, whether cattle, horses, sheep, or 

 pigs ; and if made on a proper plan, without too great draught of 

 air, they afford a well-ventilated and lighted shed for cattle, con- 

 tributing to their health and progress, while the manure made in 

 them is saturated only with animal liquid, and protected from 

 rain, which would wash away the more valuable ingredients. 

 They certainly in this respect offer a great encouragement to the 

 high feeder, who calculates for repayment of a part of the oilcake 

 in the dung, that it shall not be washed down to the nearest 

 burn ; and these reasons must have had their weight, from the 

 number of such covered courts that have been lately erected. It 

 has been objected to them, that cattle do not get the sun heat and 

 light as when kept in open sheds ; but if there is any force in 

 this objection, it can be remedied by having a small part uncovered 

 on the south side ; and some have been put up on this plan. 

 The feeding byres for cattle have also been greatly improved, 

 both as regards the number of cattle that can be accommodated 

 and the space for each, with better ventilation. Another 

 great improvement is the erection of straw barns or sheds for 

 keeping the thrashed straw protected from the weather. Good 

 sweet, dry straw contributes to the success of feeding and winter- 

 ing cattle as much as turnips or any other food, and much loss 

 was sustained by the damage it received from exposure before 

 such expedients for its preservation were adopted. Besides these 

 buildings, all recently erected or improved, steadings are supplied 

 with turnip houses, implement sheds, and other necessary accom- 

 modation ; and the proper arrangement and combination of all 

 these houses are well understood and applied in practice. The 



