THE COUNTIES OF FORFAR AND KINCARDINE. 95 



extends to 5500, and the woods to 600 acres ; the remainino- 

 1600 consisting of natural pasture. Since 1850 about 800 acres 

 have been reclaimed, mostly by trenching, while in the same 

 period about 300 acres have been planted. On other per- 

 manent improvements no less than £59,500 has been expended 

 since 1850— £34,200 on buildings, £17,000 on drainage, £7000 

 <on fencing, and £1500 on roads and miscellaneous works. Xo 

 fixed regulations exist as to improvements, the works being 

 ,generally carried out by the proprietor at the beginning of 

 leases. The houses are now as a rule in excellent condition, 

 excepting on some of the crofts and in the hamlets. The soil 

 •consists partly of clayey loam, partly of friable black loam of 

 ■excellent quality, partly light free land, and partly moss on a 

 sandy subsoil. The natural pasture is mixed — green grasses 

 ^nd heather, with a good sprinkling of whins — and is all sound 

 and healthy for stock. The leases are of nineteen years dura- 

 tion, and for very many years no tenant who was able and 

 willing to remain has left the estate. The greater portion of the 

 land ,is worked on the seven or eight-sliift rotation, with two 

 green crops and either two or three years grass. Farms range 

 in size from 60 to 960 acres ; and besides these, there are about 

 twenty crofts on the property, the extent of which vary from 4 

 to 20 acres, and the rental from £9 to £50. These crofts are 

 held from year to year, but changes seldom take place. Indeed, 

 there are crofters on this property whose ancestors had been on 

 the same land for several generations. During this year (1880) 

 one tenant died who had paid no fewer than seventy yearly 

 rents. The pasture land carries Cheviot, blackfaced, and cross- 

 bred sheep, while on the arable farms a large stock of cattle 

 are fed, very large quantities of cake being used. On a few 

 farms the breeding of cattle is being pursued pretty extensively, 

 and this system is on the increase. The general system of 

 farming has improved greatly since 1850, large sums of money 

 being expended on lime and manures. In the same parish lies 

 the desirable little estate of Couston, which belongs to Mr 

 Andrew Whitton, factor on the Belmont property. Mr Whitton 

 has expended large sums of money on various permanent 

 improvements, and now his tidy little estate, which he farms 

 himself, is in the best of trim. 



The beautifully-situated parish of Kettins, part of which 

 runs into Perthshire, contains several very tine large farms. 

 The princii)!d estate here is tliat of Ilallyburton or Pitcur, 

 which, in Fel)ruary of this year (1880), Mr Menzies, of the 

 Caledonian Distillery, Edinburgh, purchased from the Mar- 

 quis of Iluntly fur the sum of £235,000. One of the 

 best managed holdings, not only on this fine estate, but 

 in Scotland, is South Corston and Mid Gask, leased by Mr 



