304 REPORT ON THE AGRICULTURE OF DUMFRIESSHIRE. 



arable farm ; hence the management which is most suitable for 

 the lower portion of it may be ill adapted for the higher, seeing 

 that the soil and climate are alike so different. In such cases, it 

 is not uncommon to keep the lower portion under regular 

 rotation, and to allow the higher to remain in permanent pasture. 

 There are other districts of the county again, such as Corrie, 

 which are too high above sea level, and too moist, for grain 

 crops to be cultivated with profit, and accordingly these districts 

 are kept principally in grass. Around most of the mansion- 

 houses in the county there are numerous " grass parks," which 

 are usually "let" in spring by auction. These are principally 

 taken by the cattle and sheep dealers, and sometimes by farmers, 

 who use them for grazing their young breeding-stock. Such are 

 the principal varieties of the one kind of permanent pasture 

 which prevail in Dumfriesshire. When we come to treat of 

 draining and liming, we shall have our attention directed to the 

 means which are employed to keep such land in good condition. 

 We merely remark now, that the greater part of what is kept in 

 permanent pasture is well adapted for grazing purposes ; in 

 fact, Dumfriesshire is well known as a capital grazing county; 

 the very moisture which prevents it from being a good grain- 

 growing district, helps the growth of grass. Much of the pasture 

 is, in consequence, rich and luxuriant A large proportion of the 

 permanent pasture is situated in the higher parts of the county, 

 where the rainfall is very plentiful. Top-dressing with lime and 

 other manures takes effect very speedily, and increases the value 

 of the pasture. 



There is a method sometimes adopted for laying down per- 

 manent pasture which, though not entirely new, was not until 

 recently practised to any large extent, and that is, to sow grass 

 and clover seeds after turnips, without a white crop, There can 

 be no question as to the advantage of this system, where the 

 pasture is intended to be permanent. It does not yield such a 

 large return during the first year as is done by a grain crop, but 

 the loss is only temporary, for an ample compensation is afforded 

 by the superior quality of the pasture in subsequent years. The 

 grass and clover seeds, to which is added a little rape seed, are 

 sown in the end of April or beginning of May, and sheep are 

 usually put upon the field about the middle of July. It is 

 doubtful if this system would prove profitable in any part of the 

 county upon land which is in regular rotation, and that for two 

 reasons — on the one hand, the land would not be sufficiently 

 long in grass to compensate for the loss sustained by the want 

 of the white crop ; and on the other hand, if the soil had been 

 previously well manured, there would be a great danger of the 

 next white crop being " lodged " very much. This danger would 

 be especially great in the higher districts, where the great 



