70 ON THE AGEICULTUEE OF THE COUXTY OF SUTHEELAND. 



superior ewe and wether stock is kept on this farm. Owing to 

 the Lad seasons lately experienced, Mr Paterson has had to buy 

 wether lambs and two-year old wethers to make up liis stock. 

 Tliose purchased are usually descended from his own stock, and 

 £ome from Orkney, Lanarkshire, and Caithness. He generally 

 rears liis own tups, introducmg one or two now and again to 

 change the blood, from the best stocks in the south, usually 

 Dumfriesshire. His sheep in Sutherland are " dipped " about 

 the middle of October with either Macdougal's dip, or oil helle- 

 bore, tobacco, and spirits of tar. Chpping commences about the 

 first week of Jime, and is concluded in the first week of July, 

 The fleeces average 4 lbs. each in a good year. Three-fourths of 

 the lambs are sent south wlien speaned at first of August, and 

 the remainder from the 1st till the 10th of October. The first 

 lot are away eight months, and entail an outlay in that time of 

 from 10s. to 12s. a-head. The second lot are away six months, 

 and their wintering costs from 9s. to 9s. 6d. a-head. The weaker 

 animals, in the flocks kept at home, all get turnips, or are hand- 

 fed. Each shepherd has charge of from 300 to 500 ewes, or from 

 600 to 800 wethers. The Bighouse stock has been considerably 

 improved by Mr Paterson. His sheep are hardy, soimd, and 

 miiform, and command high prices. Mr Paterson has surface- 

 drained a good deal of his farm, and hmed some parts of it. He 

 has also erected fences and some shepherds' houses. 



In the parish of Farr there are several large pastoral farms. 

 At the head of these may be placed the fine farm of Langdale^ 

 rented at £1343, 15s. by Mr P. P. Sellar, who also holds the 

 arable farm of Culmaily in the parish of Golspie, and is besides 

 a very extensive farmer in the county of Eoss. Mr Sellar's 

 stock is one of the best in the north of Scotland. Lying in 

 Strathnaver, an extensive and good grazing strath, Langdale 

 embraces a wide extent of good pasture, and rears heavy, 

 well-conditioned sheep. Another extensive holduig in this 

 strath is Ehifail, which has been occupied for about twenty-one 

 years by Mr Thomas Purves, who also holds two large farms in 

 Caithness. Ehifail extends to about 30,000 acres, and is rented 

 at £900. It consists of mixed hill pasture. On each " hirsel " 

 there is an old township of green laud, and on the sides of the 

 several streams that intersect the farm there is a considerable 

 extent of green pasture. The breadth of green land, however, is 

 much too small to enable the tenant to take full advantage of 

 the large area of high black land. Mr Purves keeps a good ewe 

 and wether stock, which he maintains in high order by an 

 occasional infusion of fresh blood. He purchases every year a 

 few good tups from the best stocks in the county, and now and 

 again mtroduces two or three from the south. Clipping com- 

 mences between the 5th and 20th June, and the yield ranges 



