THE COUNTIES OF FOKFAR AND KINCAltDIXE. 139 



mountain land. The area in Forfar has increased from 27,225 

 in 1854 to 27,719 acres this year. In Kincardine the extent 

 has decreased from 13,029 in 1854 to 5797 acres in 1880. 



Root Crops, 



T^irnips. — The extent under turnips at various times since 

 1854 was as follows : — 



Forfar. Kincardine. 



1854, . . . .32,198 acres. 16,087 acres. 



1870, .... 32,881 „ 19,214 „ 



1875, .... 34,782 „ 19,398 „ 



1880, . . . ._ 34,051 „ 18,401 „ 



Increase in Forfar since 1854, . , . 1853 acres. 



„ Kincardine „ . . . 2314 „ 



It will be seen that the area under turnips in both counties 

 had increased gradually up till a few years ago, and that latterly 

 it has been falling off' somewhat. This is no doubt mainly due 

 to a large breadth being put under potatoes since 1875, and to a 

 still greater increase in the area under grass. As previously 

 noticed, many of the wheat growing farmers have recently been 

 altering from the six to the seven shifts, mainly with the view 

 of lessening the labour and manure bills, and of avoiding 

 damage to turnips from " finger and toe." In the parts where 

 wheat is not grown a large number of farmers are, with the same 

 view, giving up the five shifts in favour of the " easy " six with 

 three years grass. These changes, at the same time, involve a 

 decrease in the area under turnips. In regard to the area under 

 turnips Forfar ranks second, and Kincardine ninth in Scotland, 

 Aberdeen being the highest by nearly 60,000 acres. Generally 

 speaking, the turnip crop in these counties is both heavy and of 

 excellent quality, though perhaps barely equal in either respect 

 to the famous crops grown on the granite soils of Aberdeenshire. 

 The yield varies from 14 to 30 tons per acre. Even as many as 

 36 tons are grown sometimes. The average would perhaps 

 range from 16 to 18 tons. Calculating from the prices obtained 

 witliin the last eight or ten years, the average value, if sold to 

 be consumed off the farm, would be about £1 per ton or £16 to 

 £18 per acre, less the cost of lifting and conveying to the 

 nearest railway station. If consumed on tlie land by sheep, the 

 price obtained ranges from £7, 10s. to £11, 10s. per acre. If 

 consumed on the farm by cattle the price varies from £8 to 

 £14. Swedes bring from 15s. to 30s. more per acre tlian 

 yellows. Near the larger towns very Iiigh prices are generally 

 realised from the cowfeeders, most farmers in these parts 

 having lib«;rty to sell all the produce off their farms. In the 



