292 REPORT ON THE AGRICULTURE OF DUMFRIESSHIRE. 



friesshire is very nearly the same, the latter having fully the 

 greater breadth. The exact extent of each in 1866 was, barley 

 or here, 1031 acres ; wheat, 962 acres. 



Soon after the commencement of the present century wheat 

 began to be extensively cultivated in the county, and continued 

 to stand high in the favour of practical agriculturists until 

 about 1830, after which a gradually decreasing breadth of it was 

 grown. A very extensive and accurate observer records in an 

 Agricultural Eeport, published in the "Dumfries Herald" in 

 1838, that "taking a retrospect of the results of a number of 

 years on a good arable farm, not more than 200 feet above 

 sea level, it may be held a fair rule for the farmer to have from 

 one-third to one-fourth of his fallow and green crop break in 

 wheat." This will give the reader, who is acquainted with the 

 county, a pretty definite idea of the extent of this crop at that 

 period. Immediately after, however, from various causes, the 

 chief of which were the extension of turnips and a succession of 

 unfavourable seasons, its cultivation became very much less 

 extensive, and it has continued steadily to decrease. In 1855 

 there were 3244J imperial acres, whereas, as stated above, there 

 were in 1866 only 962 acres. The extension of turnips tended 

 to lessen the breadth of wheat, inasmuch as these could not be 

 consumed so early as to allow the wheat to be sown in time. 

 The land which was in potatoes and in fallow used to be that on 

 which wheat was sown. 



Barley was also very extensively cultivated at the commence- 

 ment of the present century, and continued long in favour ; but 

 it, like wheat, also gradually decreased, although it continued to 

 be grown, at least on what are familiarly styled the "barley 

 soils," to a later period than wheat. In 1855 there were 2578 

 imperial acres of this crop, while, as we have seen, 1031 was 

 the acreage in 1866. Many causes have led to lessen the extent 

 of this crop. One is the fact, that unless on the best " barley 

 soils " it has proved a very uncertain crop, the produce per acre 

 and weight per bushel being frequently very small. Another is 

 the superiority of oat-straw over that of barley, and especially 

 since the introduction of the dairy system much weight has been 

 attached to this consideration. 



Eye, beans, and peas are not much grown. The breadth of 

 each in 1866 was as follows : — Eye, 58 acres; beans, 164 acres; 

 and peas, 24 acres. 



Having treated of the kinds and proportions of corn crops 

 which are grown in Dumfriesshire, we proceed to describe the 

 manner in which they are cut, dried in the fields, stored in the 

 stack-yard, thrashed, and disposed of in the market. As to the 

 first of these, namely, the cutting, it may be remarked that at the 

 commencement of the period over which this report extends, 



