THE COUNTIES OF FOEFAK AND KIXCARDIXE. 113 



and well adapted to all tlie ordinary crops. On the riclier land 

 the six and seven shift rotation is pursued ; and on the thin 

 soil, the five-shift rotation, with one green crop. The beautiful 

 and extensive parish of Fettercairn lies on the west. Extending 

 to 13,803 acres, it yields a rental of £12,056, the increase since 

 1855 being £2644. The principal estates in this parish are 

 Fasque, Fettercairn, The Burn, and Balmain. On Colonel 

 MTnroy's desirable little property of The Burn, a good deal of 

 improvement has been effected during the past twenty-five years ; 

 while on Sir A. E, Eamsay's estates of Balmain, a very large 

 sum of money has been laid out during that period on reclaim- 

 ing, planting, draining, building, and fencing. On Balmain 

 about 30 acres of old woodland were trenched and drained and 

 made arable by the proprietor, while about 100 acres were 

 planted. Most of the farm steadings have either been renewed 

 or added to and improved by the proprietor since 1855, the 

 tenants generally paying interest on the outlay. All these 

 improvements, however, are made the matter of private arrange- 

 ment between the landlord and tenant. The farms on the 

 Balmain estates range from 30 to 300 acres in extent, there 

 being in addition about twenty crofts, ranging from 5 to 15 

 acres. All the farms and most of the crofts are held on leases 

 of nineteen years' duration. Several crofters hold their land 

 from year to year, but even among these very few changes take 

 place. The soil is mostly sharp medium black loam, deep in 

 some parts and thin in others. The subsoil is partly adhesive 

 clay and partly a mixture of gravel and clay. On the richer, 

 blacker land, a seven course of cropping is pursued, — tliree years 

 grass, oats, potatoes along with smaller portions of beans, vetches, 

 and cabbages, or a small division of oats a second time, then a 

 full shift of turnips, followed by barley with grass seeds. On 

 the thinner land the ordinary five-shift rotation is followed. On 

 good land oats average about 6 qrs. per acre, weighing about 

 42 lbs. per bushel ; barley, 4i to 5 qrs., weighing 54 lbs. 

 potatoes, 5 to 6 tons ; and turnips, 20 tons. Potatoes get 16 to 

 20 loads of farmyard manure per acre with 2 cwt. of dissolved 

 bones ; and turnips about the same quantity of dung, with 3 oi 

 4 cwt. of dissolved bones and other light manures. Only a 

 small number of the cattle fed in the district are l)red in it. ^Ir 

 Smith, Balmain, keeps a few shorthorn cows, and also breeds a 

 few cross ; but the general custom is to buy in Irish cattle at 

 one and a half year old, and feed them ofV within a year or fifteen 

 months. Excluding the higher and poorer lands, the averagf 

 rent in this district is about 30s. per acre. Around the village 

 of Fettercairn there is some very fine heavy loam, rented nt 

 about £2 per acre, or even more. The Fettercairn property 

 contains some very rich land, mostly of the nature of clayey 

 loam, with a good open subsoil. 



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