AND MKTEOUOLOGY OF TIIK YKAK RELATIVE TIIEKETO. ;515 



"began. Owing to tin.' viTV luilil wuiither in OcUjber :inil Nuvemljer turnips 

 continued to grow till lute in the .season. 



Ross-SHIRE. — Wheat arerage 2^ quarters ; ([uulity of grain and straw 

 inferior ; (juantify of grain about 80 ]>er cent, (jf average ; ([uantity of 

 straw large, but inferior in ([uality i'lum wi-t and sunless wc-atlici'. I'arley — 

 average lik quarters ; ([uality iid'erior Ly 2 to 3 llis. i)er bushel ; straw, 

 sound, average ([uantity an<i well-harvested. Oats — average 4^ ([uarters ; 

 <iuality of grain about 1 lb. per busliel under; straw 10 per cent, over the 

 average ; quality better as better harvested. Harvest usual tinu% from 

 middle of August to middle of Seiitemljer. Harvests of 1878 and 1879 Itegan 

 and ended a month Ijehind usual time. Hay crop 1^ tons ; up to average 

 as regards quality, and h ton inidi-r average as regards quantity ; more rye 

 grass than clover this yeai'. Turnip crop — Swedes, 1877, 13 tons, small 

 though fair (juality ; 1878, 20 tons, tirst-rate quality ; 1879, 12 tons, small ; 

 (luality indilfereni. Yellows — 1877, 17 tons, good; 1878, 15 tons, good; 

 1879, 15 tons, good ; only one sowing required though stiff in coming to hoe 

 for want of heat ; Yellows a better crop than the Swedes as a general rule. 

 Pastures a month later in starting ; above an average growth ; afterwards 

 deficient in feeding quality, especially for sheep, owing to continuous dri]i- 

 ping and want of heat. Potatoes — 1877, aliout 6 tons per acre, but badly 

 diseased ; 1878, aliout 4 tons, not much diseased ; 1879, about 4 tons, a 

 little disease, but variable in its tirst ap])earance ; on some farms apjiearing 

 early and othei's late ; (/hampions free from disease. No insect noticed . 

 Late season prevented ground from being thoroughly \vell cleaned of 

 ([uickens, which were abundant all throuLjh the season, which was a wet 

 one. This return rehites to the basin of the River C'onan, from where- 

 the river emerges from the hills down to its entry to the Cromarty Firth. 



SuTHKULANDSHiRE. — Barley— grain one-third short in bulk, and from 2 

 to 3 Ills, per bushel lighter than usual ; plenty of straw. Oats variable ; 

 grain below an average in weight and bulk, but not nearly so much as 

 liarley ; straw aliove average. Harvest from two to three weeks later. Hay 

 crop, ([Uantity very variable, liut in every case below an average ; on many 

 farms a conij)lete failure. Clover grew much worse than rye grass ; crop 

 much spoilt by wet weather after being cut. Turnips will Vje a third short ; 

 on poor badly farmed land they are very bad. Pastures on an average, but 

 wanted feeding (juality. Disease apjieared early among the potato crop and 

 stopjjed their growth ; they are only half a crop ; Champions escaped disease, 

 and are a good cnqi. 



Caithness-shirk. — Bere one-third less in quantity, and from 5 to 8 \hs. 

 jier bushel deficient in weight. Oats a full average bulk ; produce one- 

 third short in (juantity, and from 5 to 7 lbs. per bushel in weight. Harvest 

 from two to three weeks later. Hay crop — (quantity and (juality almut 

 an average ; meadow hay under an average. The turnip cro}) brairded 

 well, and early sown turinps in favourable circumstances a good crop ; 

 weight may ])e stated ftx)m 5 to 20 tons. The growth of pastures was fair, 

 but the universal observation was that cattle' and sheeji did little good. 

 Potato crop deficient in quantity by one-fourth ; tubers small ; not grown 

 to any extent for market. The season in Caithness was cold and wet ; 

 about one-third of the turnip crop where sown early, and, on land with an 

 open sulisoil, turned out good ; the rest might be from 5 to 12 tons per 

 acre. Potatoes are not grown for market, uidess a few e.\i)orted for seed, so 

 that the money returns are not much aftected. About the middle of October 

 there was a fortnight of tine weather, Mhich was of great benefit. Harvest 

 in Caithness is usually not general until the second week of Sejitember. 



Ork>'ey. — No wheat, and little barley, grown. Bere short of quantity 

 and (luality. Weight 48 lbs. as compared with 54 lbs. Straw good. Oats 



