REPORT OX THE IMPROVEMENT OF MEADOW PASTURAGE. 445 



75 acres, and Lamsdale leen 25 acres, or thereby. The soil is a 

 rich and free alluvial loam. 



The upper portion of Torran leens, before it was secured, grew 

 an immense quantity of rashes and some sedges. The lower 

 portion grew a variety of benty and tufty grasses, amongst which 

 Phalaris arandiiiacca and Agrostis vulgaris were conspicuous. 

 The higher and drier parts of both the above grew luxuriant 

 and succulent meadow grasses. Lamsdale leen, from being 

 regularly mown, was as smooth as a lawn, and gave sweet and 

 nutricious meadow hay when safely secured. The sedges have 

 disappeared from the upper portion since the flooding has been 

 prevented. The rashes look as if the decayed yellow growth of 

 1864 had not yet fallen from them, and seem from want of the 

 former moisture incapable of growing green. The sheep during 

 the long-continued snow storm of last year lay into the rough 

 grasses of the lower portion, and, when the snow took off, the 

 surface w r as as if it had been cut with a scythe. Suitable storm 

 stells have since been erected for enabling the sheep to work the 

 leens safely with snow. 



The injury by flooding to the sheep stock has been already 

 stated. Up to 1864 one-half of the ewes on the hirsel were Black- 

 faced, and the other half Cheviots ; since then the whole has 

 been put under Cheviots. They came through the severity of 

 last year without assistance, and produced a good crop of lambs. 

 This winter, there have been one hundred more on the ground 

 than when the half were Black-faced, and they are in good con- 

 dition now. There has not been the slightest symptom of rot, 

 or a pocked sheep in the hirsel since 1864. 



Mr Andrew Hall, Sutherlandshire, one of the first authorities 

 of the north in connection with sheep, inspected and reported 

 on the capability of the farm for carrying a sheep stock, on 

 account of the former tenant, about fourteen years ago. He 

 told the reporter last summer that, in his opinion, the Torran 

 side of the farm, before the leens were relieved from flooding, 

 was only suitable for Highland cattle, and was not safe for them, 

 but that he knew it would make a good ewe hirsel now. Mi- 

 George Glend inning, Hatton Mains, llatho, inspected the im- 

 provement in September 1866. He thought it highly beneficial 

 for the property, and that it would pay well. He also expressed 

 his satisfaction with the engineering and execution of the works. 



2g 



