126 ON THE AGRICULTURE OF 



some others allow their calves almost 1 lb. of linseed cake 

 during winter, and for some time before they are finished as 

 feeding cattle they get, in addition to turnips, a liberal allow^ance 

 of cake, oats, and barley, bruised and mixed with bran. Since 

 1850 the stock bred and fed in this district have improved very 

 greatly, mainly by the introduction of really good well-bred 

 ^uUs, and by more attention being paid to the class of cows 

 kept, and to the feeding and housing of cattle. Three years 

 ago Mr Eust sold four cross stots of his own breeding, and under 

 two years old, at an average of £35 each. One of these four, 

 1 year and 11 months old, weighed when killed, and after hang- 

 ing in the slaughter-house for two days, no less than 9 cwt. 

 3 qrs. and 26 lbs., or only 2 lbs. short of 10 cwt. Mr Eust 

 renewed his lease two years ago, and since then the proprietor 

 has built new houses and executed several thousand yards of 

 drains, the tenant paying interest on the outlay at the rate of 5 

 per cent., and also performing all carriages free. In this district 

 generally the most of the land has been drained since 1850, 

 •either by Government, the proprietors' or tenants' money ; while 

 besides great improvement in the way of building and fencing, 

 a large extent of new land has been reclaimed, chiefly from moor 

 and moss. Eent varies from 20s. to 28s. per acre. On the 

 Blackhall estate there are also some very good arable farms, 

 managed in a manner similar to the system prevailing on the 

 Strachan property. One of the largest and best managed hold- 

 ings is the combined farms of Letterbeg and Bucharn, held by 

 Mr James Leys. The extent is 245 acres arable, and 60 of 

 natural pasture, the rental being £240, lis. The soil is mostly 

 black friable loam. A portion of the farm is put under sheep, 

 and is broken up occasionally. The other portion is worked in 

 five shifts. Barley and oats yield on an average about 4 qrs. 

 per acre, the former weighing 54 and the latter 41 lbs. per bushel. 

 Potatoes yield about 7 tons, turnips 18 to 21 tons, and hay Ih 

 ton per acre. In addition to a good dose of farmyard manure, 

 turnips and potatoes get a mixture of artificial manure, mostly 

 dissolved bones with a small portion of superphosphate of lime, 

 to the value of about £2 per acre. During the last four years 

 the proprietor has expended £1400 on this farm on trenching, 

 -draining, building houses, and erecting dykes, the tenant paying 

 interest at the rate of 5 per cent., and also performing all the 

 •carriage free. The farm is well watered and fairly well fenced. 

 The arable land in this district is rented at about 24s. per acre. 



Mr Sim, the tenant of the farm of Gateside on the Strachan 

 estate, has for a few years been growing strawberries to the 

 extent of about 2 acres. The results have varied greatly with 

 the seasons, but it is understood that on the whole the experi- 

 iment has been successful. The yield and the price both seem 



