110 ON THE AGEICULTUEE OF 



AVe next enter the parish of Bervie, which extends to 2447 

 acres, and yields a rental of £3368. The increase since 1855 

 is £1332. Here also there is some good loam, but the soil 

 generally is lighter than in Benholm and St Cyrus. The largest 

 property here is that of Hallgreen, in which there are a few 

 good large farms, rented at from £160 to £635. The much 

 larger parish of Arbuthnott lies on the north, stretching from 

 near the sea side far inland. Extending to 9623 acres, it yields 

 a rental of £9916, the increase since 1855 being £2400, or about 

 5s. per acre of the total extent. Lord Arbuthnott is the chief 

 proprietor in this parish. His fine estate, situated in a well- 

 favoured part of the county and extending into several parishes, 

 is stated in the Parliamentary Eeturn of Owners of Lands and 

 Heritages, 1872, to comprise 13,560 acres, and to yield a rental of 

 £13,036, or very close on £1 per acre all over. The improve- 

 ments effected on this desirable property within the past twenty- 

 five years have been very extensive and costly. The arable area 

 has been slightly increased in several parts ; but the principal 

 works have been the erection of new farm houses, and the 

 drainincf or redraininsj of land. In the erection of houses in 



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particular, a very great deal has been done, a large number of 

 very handsome and commodious farm steadings having been 

 erected all over the property. In every case the tenant per- 

 forms the carriages free, and generally also pays a certain per- 

 centage on the outlay by the proprietor, the works being 

 invariably executed under a private arrangement between the 

 proprietor and each individual tenant. A large extent of land 

 has been drained since 1850, while some fencing has also been 

 erected. In this latter respect, however, there is still a great 

 deal to be done. There are a large number of extensive -and well 

 managed farms on this property. An intelligent and extensive 

 farmer on the Arbuthnott section of the property states, that 

 the soil varies a good deal, but is mostly a medium loam or 

 pretty strong clay, parts being thin and moorish. The ordinary 

 live-shift rotation is the most general, but a few are now taking 

 to a seven course — two crops of oats in succession, one of 

 turnips with a small portion of potatoes, one of barley, and three 

 years of grass. Some farmers are also working on six shifts, 

 with only one crop of grain between grass and turnips. Under 

 both these latter systems turnips are found to be less liable to 

 damage by " finger and toe " than under the five shifts. There 

 is great variety in the yield of grain. Last season (1879), on 

 some farms oats and barley did not exceed 1^ qr. per acre. In 

 an average season, however, the yield would be about 5 qrs. per 

 acre, barley weighing about 54 lbs., and oats 42 lbs. per bushel. 

 Potatoes yield about 6 tons, turnips about 15 tons, and hay 

 about IJ ton per acre. In many cases these figures would be 



