THE COUNTIES OF FOEFAR AND KINCAEDINE. 85 



Si Vigeans, adjoining Panbride, and is also on the Paninure 

 estate. This farm extends to about 420 acres, 300 of which are 

 arable, the remainder being rough pasture on sea-braes. The 

 soil varies a good deal. About 100 acres are good fertile clayey 

 loam, a like extent easier black loam, somewhat liable to 

 damage by drought in dry seasons ; and the other 100 acres 

 drifting sand and moorish soil. For fifteen years Mr Swan 

 worked the best land in the seven course rotation, and the 

 poorest in six shifts, three years in grass with only one green 

 crop. The thinner land was for a time tried with two green 

 crops after three years grass, and also after two years in grass ; 

 and now the whole farm is worked in seven shifts. In one 

 division of the farm, potatoes are grown after two years old 

 grass, and are followed by wheat, oats, turnips, and barley or 

 oats in succession. This course has been adopted with the view 

 of keeping the land free from weeds, and of preventing the oat 

 crop from lodging, which it invariably did, after two years feed- 

 ing with cake on the pastures. Wheat yields from 4 to 7 qrs. 

 per acre, w^eighing from 56 to 63 lbs. per bushel; barley from 

 4 to 9 qrs., weighing from 47 to 57 lbs.; oats from 6 to 12 qrs., 

 weighing from 40 to 44 lbs.; potatoes from 2 to 10 tons; and 

 turnips from 10 to 30 tons. In a very exceptional season, as 

 many as 40 tons of turnips per acre have been grown on this 

 farm. Mr Swan keeps an excellent stock of cross cows, and 

 from these and well bred shorthorn bulls rears a class of beef 

 cattle not surpassed by any and equalled by few in the county. 

 He also has a few pure bred shorthorn cows. He feeds his 

 crosses from birth onwards, taking care to maintain them in a 

 healthy condition, and constantly adding both to their size and 

 cover of flesh. The cattle are sold to the butcher when two 

 or two and a half years old, and on an average for ten years 

 have realised from £24 to £36 a head. Cotton cake is the chief 

 auxiliary during the greater part of the feeding period, linseed 

 or beans or both being given for a month or six weeks before 

 the cattle are sold. About 180 or 200 blackfaced ewes, obtained 

 from the same glen for fifteen years, are purchased in October, 

 and from these and the best of Clark and Stark tups, a very fine 

 stock of half-bred lambs are raised. The lambs are fed on unde- 

 corticated cotton cake till from eleven to thirteen months old, and 

 then disposed of. The average price for ten years has been 58s. 

 a head. Mr Swan has effected great improvement on his farm 

 since his entry in 1860. In buildings, draining, fencing, and 

 road making he has expended in all £3500. ¥ov improvements 

 in 1868 he obtained £600 at 7 per cent, interest, and £400 in 

 1877-78 at 5 per cent. The farm is now well appointed in 

 almost every respect. Each field is supplied with water, while 

 there is a sufficiency of cottage accommodation for the servants. 



