28 ON THE AGEICULTUEE OF THE COUNTY OF SUTHERLAND. 



by tlie proprietors and tenants of Sutherland. There is but a 

 small portion of the county suitable for arable fanning, and 

 therefore the increase in its arable area has been less during the 

 past fifty years than in the other Highland counties, but its 

 natural resources, such as they are, have jjeen developed in a 

 manner, and to a degree not surpassed in the history of any 

 other county in the kingdom. 



The Diikc's Land lieclamations. 



The Duke of Sutherland's land reclamations have perhaps 

 earned a wider reputation than any other agricultural operation 

 ever undertaken in any part of the world. Though commenced 

 only nine years ago, more matter has already been written and 

 published on the subject in newspapers and magazines than is 

 required to form an ordinary modern three-volume novel ; and 

 thus the agricultural public must already be pretty familiar with 

 the details of the work. In such a report as this, however, it is 

 desirable that so prominent a feature in the agricultural history 

 of the county should receive due attention. 



The Reasons that led to the Reclamations. — The reasons that 

 led the Duke of Sutherland to contemplate these reclamations 

 may first be noticed. As may be inferred from the great dispro- 

 portion between its arable and grazing areas, the county of 

 Sutherland, the bulk of which, as has been shown, belongs to 

 His Grace, is, in the matter of food, far from self-supporting. 

 The consumption of oatmeal exceeds the home production ; and, 

 as the mountains and straths of the county carry a greater 

 number of sheep in summer than these, aided by the available 

 production of the arable districts, can sustain in the winter 

 season, a large portion of its sheep stock has to seek winter food 

 beyond its bounds. Nine years ago it was stated by the late 

 Mr Kenneth Murray of Geanies, that for oatmeal and turnips 

 at least £25,000 went off the Duke of Sutherland's estate every 

 year. It was therefore natural that His Grace should have long 

 cherished a desire to alter this state of matters, and, if possible, 

 increase his arable area so as to raise a sufficiency of oatmeal for 

 the inhabitants, and of winter food for the fleecy aniinals that 

 fare so sumptuously on the Sutherland hills in summer. 



Mr Kenneth Murray s Rie'port. — In 1870 the late Mr Kenneth 

 Murray of Geanies, Eoss-shire, a gentleman at once large- 

 hearted, widely intelligent, and of vast experience, was con- 

 sulted on the subject by His Grace. After making a careful 

 survey of the portions of the estate that seemed most suitable 

 for reclamation, Mr Murray drew up and submitted to his 

 Grace an exhaustive and highly-interesting report. The sub- 

 stance of the more important x^arts of that document (with which^ 



