REPORT ON THE AGRICULTURE OF DUMFRIESSHIRE. 293 



the "sickle " was being gradually superseded by the " scythe;" and 

 now, at the close of it, the latter implement is giving place, in 

 some measure, to the "reaping machine." There are two principal 

 circumstances which will limit the use of the reaping machine 

 in this county. The one is, the steep character of a considerable 

 portion of the cropping land ; and the other is the fact that a 

 good deal of the grain, especially in upper Annandale, and in 

 such high districts, is very much " lodged." The reporter has 

 frequently seen twenty-acre fields, in the district above referred 

 to, almost as flat as a road ; it is needless to say that, in cases 

 such as these, the reaping machine would be practically useless. 

 It frequently happens that although the crop on most of a field 

 is standing, portions of it here and there are flattened, and as the 

 machine would be interrupted by such places, we believe it would 

 be cheaper and more expeditious to cut down the whole by the 

 scythe. In the lower portions of the county, again, the grain 

 crops seldom, even in moist seasons, are so laid as to prevent 

 their being cut by the machine. Although they are lodged to 

 some extent, they very rarely become so flattened as to interfere 

 with the filling of the grain, and a machine, when made to cut in 

 the opposite direction to that in which the straw is inclined, will 

 make tolerably good work. 



The grain is generally put up in " stooks " of from eight to 

 twelve sheaves, sometimes with and sometimes without hoods ; 

 it is certainly becoming more common to dispense with the 

 hoods. " Hutting " in the fields is very rarely resorted to, even 

 in the worst seasons, in Dumfriesshire. The crop is taken direct 

 from the stook to the barn-yard, and there stored in stacks, 

 which are universally built in a circular form. The size of these 

 stacks varies on the same farm according to the state of the 

 weather, and the consequent condition of the grain when put up; 

 and their size on different farms is generally regulated by the 

 size of the barn — as much being put into each stack as that 

 building will contain. Sheds are being erected on many farms 

 for the purpose of storing hay and unthrashed grain ; they were 

 at first used almost exclusively for hay, but sheds have latterly 

 been erected on several farms expressly for holding the grain. 

 Their principal recommendation when used for storing the white 

 crop is that the straw, which is used in thatching and roping 

 stacks, is saved, as well as the time which is spent in preparing 

 it for these purposes ; and, moreover, the grain is perfectly secure 

 the moment it is put into the shed, whereas it is always liable to 

 suffer from wet when in stack until the thatch is put upon it, 

 which process may necessarily be delayed for some days. Their 

 chief advantage in the case of hay, is that the hay, instead of 

 being put up in " stamp coles " in the field, can be stored in 

 the shed at once ; thus not only rendering the process of 



