ON THE AGKICULTUr.E OF THE COUNTY OF SUTHEKLANU. 75 



year and put to picked ewes, the tups being selected from the 

 progeny. Mr Charke generally buys from the flocks in Suther- 

 landshire, which he knows to be the purest, most suitable to his 

 land and climate, and least crossed with south country blood. 

 He smears part of his stock with tar and butter in Octoljer, and 

 dips the others with Macdougal's dip, along with some tobacco 

 juice and half a pound of best butti!r to each sheep. Clipping 

 commences about the 10th of -Tune and ends about the first week 

 of tluly — according to the season, condition of the stock, and the 

 weather. The yield ranges from 3^ lbs. from dipped hoggs 

 to 6 lbs. from smeared wethers. The wetlier hoggs are sent 

 away to wintering, which costs from 8s. to 10s. a-head ; it 

 has been even as high as 12s. a-head. Ewe lambs are wintered 

 at home, partly on the low lying ground kept specially for 

 " hogging " and partly on the arable farm. The dinmonts and 

 weak sheep of other ages are taken from the hills and re- 

 cruited with turnips in winter and beginning of spring. There 

 are about 150 acres of arable land at Eriboll, worked on 

 the six-shift rotation. Oats yield from 3 to 5 quarters per 

 acre, and weigh from 40 to 42 lbs. per luisliel. Turnips also 

 grow well. The present tenant's grandfather and father re- 

 claimed about 80 acres, while the Duke recently reclaimed 

 the other 70 acres by pick and spade, at a cost of about £40 

 per acre. Interest is paid here as in the other cases. Mr 

 Clarke has expended between £500 and £C00 in surface-draining 

 on his farm since 1872, this sum having been expended many 

 times over by his father during his tenancy. He keeps six or 

 seven cross cows, buys shepherds' calves when fostered, and then 

 rears from fifteen to twenty stirks, sending them to his farms in 

 the low country. Mr Clarke is also an extensive farmer in Easter 

 Ross. The Eriboll wethers brought 40s. this year, and cast ewes 

 30s. 6d. 



Another holding of about equal extent in the parish of Dur- 

 ness, is the farm of Balnakiel, rented by Mr John Scott at 

 £1385, and managed in the same manner. Keoldale, rented by 

 Mr John Scobie at £1200, lies partly in Durness and partly in 

 the parish of Eddrachilles, and carries a very fine stock. In the 

 latter parish is situated the highly picturesque and valuable 

 grazing farm of Glendhu, rented at £1395 by Mr James Gunn. 

 In Assynt there are several large holdings ; the most extensive 

 is Drumswordlan, rented by Mr John Scol)ie at £1000, and the 

 next largest is Achumore, occupied by Mr John Elliott at a rent 

 of £893!^ 



The General System of Management on SJieep Farms. 



Excepting a few lots of blackfaced sheep kept by the IMaster 

 of Blantyre and a few others, the entire fleecy stock of the county 



