108 BIPEOVEMENTS ON THE ESTATE OF DENBEAE, FIFESHIEE. 



plants were generally thrown out in winter. After getting the 

 fields drained I attempted it, but not to a great extent at first, 

 and the return was so good, to the surprise of many, that more 

 and more was sown every year ; and wheat was continued as 

 one of the regular crops on the farm. Knowing that wheat 

 could be grown on the land to advantage, it was the means of 

 getting a much higher rent, when subsequently re-let, than it 

 would otherwise have brought. 



Being several miles from a railway station I never planted 

 more potatoes than were required for farm use, — the land being 

 kept in fallow instead, both to rest it and to clean it, which 

 would have occupied too much time in spring to do thoroughly, 

 so as to get them planted in time. This plan seemed to work 

 very well ; the loss of the crop was re-paid by the succeeding 

 crop, which was always wdieat, the ground being well manured, 

 several times ploughed and cleaned, and the return was gene- 

 rally about 8 bolls per acre. 



The permanent pasture fields, when I entered, were almost 

 completely covered over with whins ; but by degrees I got 

 them greatly reduced by burning and digging them out. It 

 was impossible to reclaim them, the surface being so uneven and 

 beds of whinstone rock cropping up at intervals, with pools of 

 water collecting in the hollows ; but these were greatly relieved 

 by casting deep drains. These fields all adjoined, but required 

 shelter greatly ; so a strip of plantation, about 10 acres in extent, 

 was planted on the north and east sides of them, consisting of 

 larch, spruce, and Scots fir, with a few oaks. They were planted 

 very thick, and in a few years they formed a good shelter, and 

 the cattle throve much better , and more valuable cattle could 

 be grazed than formerly, which were generally Irish stirks. 

 This plantation was enclosed with a paling where there was no 

 wall, and open trenches cut across in the wet places, and a deep 

 open ditch all along one side, which suited several purposes — 

 namely, in keeping the plantation dry, a good suj)ply of water 

 to the pasture fields, and also an exit for some of the main 

 drains of the other fields, without wliich they must have been 

 much longer and deeper before getting an exit. In about ten years 

 this plantation would repay itself, both in rent of land occupied 

 and cost of planting, by the shelter it afforded, and by thinning 

 out the firs, which were growing rapidly and which were suit- 

 able for many purposes connected with the farm. 



The meadow, extending to about 7 acres, was annually cut 

 for hay for the cattle in winter, it being too wet either to culti- 

 vate or jDasture, and too level and low to drain. But I consider 

 it was more profitable to have it as it was than any other way, 

 as the crop was always good and made excellent fodder. 



The moss land was always kept in pasture, but an open ditch. 



