324 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURE OF DUMFRIESSHIRE. 



prietor. This shows at least that both landlord and tenant 

 believe such liberal treatment of the land to be remunerative. 

 In judging of the advisability of applying such a large quantity 

 of lime per acre, it ought to be borne in mind that the climate is 

 very moist, about fifty inches being the rainfall in an ordinary 

 season. 



3. Subsoil Ploughing. — Subsoil ploughing was practised to 

 some extent on some of the larger farms in the county from 

 twenty to twenty-five years ago. It is now unknown. This 

 has arisen from many causes. One is, that it was found to serve 

 a good end only when the subsoil was kindly. Another is, the 

 very great expense which it costs ; and the shortening of the leases 

 to fifteen years does not give the tenant a reasonable prospect 

 of being repaid for that expense during the currency of his lease. 

 A further reason for the limited extent to which it has been 

 carried is, that it cannot be properly executed unless on the 

 larger class of farms where at least six horses are kept. 



4. Comparative Expense of working an Arable Farm twenty-five 

 years ago and now. — We adverted in an early part of this 

 paper to the greater productiveness of the soil of the county 

 now than at any former period, as evidenced in the increased 

 valuation of the lands within its bounds. This increased pro- 

 ductiveness must be all the greater, from the fact that the 

 expense of cultivating it is, principally on account of the rise of 

 wages which has taken place, very much augmented. This will 

 be the more apparent from a comparison of the wages which 

 were paid in 1842 and those that are current now. 



1842. 1867. 



Ploughman's half-yearly 



wage, with victuals, £5 10 to £6 ... £9 9 to £10 10 



Man's wage during har- 

 vest, with victuals, 2 20 400 



Labourer's wage per day, 



without victuals, 19 026 



"Woman's half-yearly 



wage, with victuals, 2 10 to 2 15 5 5 to 5 10 



Woman's wage during 



harvest, with victuals, 110 220 



Woman's wage per day, 

 without victuals, 09 1 to 1 2 



Not only is the expense of working an arable farm increased in 

 proportion to the rise of wages which appears from the above 

 table, but it ought also to be borne in mind that, especially at 

 certain seasons of the year, more labour is actually spent now 

 than was necessary under the management pursued then. For 

 example, before turnips were grown so extensively, and even at 



