THE COUNTIES OF FORFAR AND KINCARDINE. 119 



of Dunnottar, and on the Barras estate in both parishes, there 

 are several large farms of good laud, which being managed in a 

 skilful and liberal manner are made to produce excellent crops. 

 One of the largest and best managed farms in this district is 

 Fernyflatt, on the Kinneff estate, which contains some very good 

 loam, and produces excellent crops. The farms of Harvieston 

 and Beedlieston, also in the parish of Kinneff, and occupied 

 respectively by Mr George Greig and Mr Walker Campbell, are 

 likewise large and are worked in a no less skilful manner. Mr 

 Greig has given great attention to cultivation by steam, and on 

 his own and other farms employs steam extensively and with 

 much success. The improvements on the different estates in these 

 parishes within the last twenty-five years have been extensive and 

 varied, very similar indeed both in nature and coaiparative cost 

 to those executed in that period on the Glenbervie estate. 

 These remarks apply equally well to the various estates in the 

 parish of Fetteresso which lie on the north of Dunnottar. 

 Extending to 27,528 acres Fetteresso has a rental of £31,264, the 

 increase during the last twenty-five years being equal to over 7s. 

 per acre of the total extent. As in Dunnottar, however, a pretty 

 large part of the rental of Fetteresso is derived from the town of 

 Stonehaven, which lies partly in the one parish and partly in 

 the other. The principal estates in Fetteresso are Cowie, Fetter- 

 esso, Gillybrands and Newtonhill, Muchalls, Xetherley, Urie 

 and Eickarton. On all these estates pretty large sums have 

 been expended since 1855 on various improvements, chiefly 

 draining and building ; while on all there has been less or more 

 reclamation, mostly done in small pieces by the tenants. Since 

 the beginning of the present century the arable area of this 

 parish has been very largely increased, but the main portion of 

 the reclamation took place prior to 1850. On the lower jjarts 

 of the parish and along the coast towards Muchalls there is a 

 good deal of medium fertile loam, that yields well under liberal 

 management. On the more inland and higher parts, however, 

 the soil is either mossy, or thin moorish loam, or cold clayey 

 loam ; the subsoil being moderately open in some })arts, but in a 

 large portion close and liard. Much as has been done in drain- 

 ing there still renjains a good deal to be done. On the estate of 

 Netherley there is a large tract of deep moss, from which in 

 former times immense quantities of peat were cut and driven to 

 Aberdeen, mostly by crofters and cottars on the property. The 

 estate of Netherley was purchased close on twenty years ago 

 for Mr W. N. Forbes from Mr Horatio Uoss, tlie famed sports- 

 intin, for £53,000. Not very long before tliat time it was pur- 

 chased for Mr Ifoss by the late ^Ir Walker, Tortlethen, for 

 £33,000. When in Mr Koss's possession the property was under 

 the skilful management of Mr Walker, and was in many 



