390 THE CEEEAL AND OTHER CROPS OF SCOTLAND EOR 1880, 



Forfarshire. — Wheat about 36 "biishels ; straw and grain better than 

 last year ; about 3 Inishels of seed so^\ti. Barley — 40 bushels ; grain better 

 than last year ; straw short, but quantity good ; about 4 bushels of seed. 

 Oats — 48 bushels ; grain very much better than last year ; straw short, but 

 good ; seed sown, about 4| bushels. Harvest was early — about four weeks 

 earlier tlian last year. Hay a very small crop ; quality fair ; weight about 

 1^ tons. No meadow hay. Potato crop about 8 tons — about 3 tons more 

 than last year, and about 20 per cent, diseased. Disease commenced about 

 the beginning of August. Turnip crop about 25 tons — good, much better 

 than last year ; crop brairded very irregularly, and in many cases sowing 

 was necessary more than once, owing to the dry season. Xo injury from 

 insects or weeds. Pasture very poor in the early part of the season, but 

 improved after the July rains. Stock throve fairly well, and were free 

 from disease. About an average clip of wool. 



Kincardineshire. — Barley— crop 1880, from 4 to 6 quarters ; average, 

 5 quarters ; average weight, above standard ; straw — fair alloMance, and 

 quality good. Grain double in quantity to crop 1879, but straw in 1879 

 much more than 1880 ; seed so>\ti, about 4 bushels, occasionally a trifle 

 less. Oat crop 1880 — lea oats would average from 5 to 6-| quarters ; oats, 

 after turnips and potatoes, from 3 to 5 quarters ; good quality ; straw — fair 

 alloA\'ance, and good quality ; grain almost double of crop 1879 ; straw not 

 so bulky as 1879 ; seed sown — generally from 4 to 6 bushels. Harvest 

 1880 began about two weeks before usual time, and five or six weeks before 

 that of"l879. Hay crop 1880 — quantity 1 to 1^ ton ; good quality ; did 

 not bulk largely ; little clover, but weighed well ; 1879 — quantity 1 to If 

 ton ; quality iiiferior ; bulk gTeater than 1880, but did not look so well to 

 appearance ; more clover. Potatoes 1880 — yield fully double of 1879, say 

 5 to 6 tons, and in 1879 2 tons, unless Champions, which were double crop 

 to all others ; disease very bad in 1879, unless in Champions ; slight in 

 1880, but in 1880 have suffered severely from frost in pits. Disease began 

 in August, and in many cases later, and in pits. Turnip crop 1880 more 

 than double weight of crop 1879, and better quality ; 1879 — average weight 

 say 6 to 10 tons ; 1880 — 16 to 24 tons, but since January began crop 1880 

 has rotted to the extent of three-fourths of crop then in the ground. Crop 

 1880 brairded well in soft land, but unequally and late in hard or clay 

 land, and in some cases two or more sowings were partially required. Lea 

 oats in damp spots, or cold or partially stiff land, suffered from grub, but 

 not to a large or unusual extent. On thin damp land sown with grain 

 after green crop, crop was in some cases choked with weeds, or partially so. 

 Pastures — fair growth and fair quality ; not so great growth as in 1879, but 

 quality much better. Stock throve fair in 1880, but nothmg more ; badly 

 in 1879 ; season too wet ; cattle and sheep generally free from disease 

 during past season. Clip of wool good quality, and over average generally. 



Aberdeenshire (Buchan District). — Scarcely any wheat grown. The 

 quantity of barley this year would be about 14 bushels in excess of last 

 year, and the quality is much superior both as regards grain and straw ; 

 the grain would be on an average from 7 to 8 lbs. per bushel heavier. The 

 yield of oats this year will be about 14 bushels over that of last year, and 

 the weight from 3 to 4 lbs. heavier than last year, in which, except along 

 the sea-coast, the yield and weight of all kinds of grain was very poor. 

 Harvest began some fifteen days sooner than usual. Hay about the same 

 quantity, but of much better quality ; last year, though there was a full 

 bulk, the quality was very inferior. Meadow hay very little grown. The 

 yield of the potato crop would exceed that of last year by 2 to 3 tons ; the 

 older kinds were very much diseased, to the extent of 30 per cent., whereas 

 the newer and apparently hardier varieties (the Magnum Bonum, &c.) are 

 very little ; the disease showed itself evidently about the middle of Sep- 



