78 ON THE AGRICULTURE OF 



who manages his land with much liberahty and success. He, 

 along with most of his neighbours, drives a large quantity of 

 city manure from Dundee, and in addition uses a good deal of 

 artificial stimulants. A six-shift rotation is the one most gene- 

 rally pursued, that is — oats, potatoes, wheat, turnips, barley, and 

 one year's grass ; all the produce, except what is required to 

 maintain the working staff of the farm, being sold. The cow- 

 feeders of Dundee take all the turnips, hay, and grass they can 

 obtain in their neighbourhood. For some time back they have 

 been paying such high prices for both, more especially turnips, 

 that they have been losing heavily by the transaction, and they are 

 now beginning to deal in these commodities with more modera- 

 tion. Even yet, however, farmers have no difficulty in obtaining 

 from £16 to £22 per acre for a good crop of turnips, according 

 to the situation of the farm. Coming nearer to Dundee we find 

 still higher-rented land, the best land all around it being rented 

 at from £5 to £6 per acre. The rotation pursued here is also 

 mostly the six courses, with one year's grass and two green 

 crops ; but some work without any fixed rotation, cropping to 

 suit the markets and the condition of their land. On the farms 

 close to Dundee few more stock are kept than are required for 

 working the land and supplying the residents with milk, it 

 being found far more protitaljle to dispose of the turnips and 

 grass to the cowfeeders in the town than to consume these on 

 the farm. This, of course, necessitates very liberal manuring, 

 but from the cowfeeders in Dundee an abundant supply of dung 

 is always to be had. The suburban farmers use city manure 

 very freely. The soil around Dundee is mostly an easy rich 

 loam, in many cases worked into a very high state of fertility. 

 In some parts there is stiff clay, and on some of the higher 

 parts thin loam ; but, oq the whole, it is more than ordinarily 

 fertile, and is fully taken advantage of. The produce per acre 

 on the suburban farms varies greatly. Generally speaking, it is 

 above the average of the county. One of the best managed 

 farms in the neighbourhood of Dundee is Mid Craigie, occupied 

 by Mr Thomas Drummond. Situated almost in the suburbs of 

 Dundee, it is well laid off, has been highly farmed for a very 

 long period, and is in very rich condition. The soil is heavy 

 loam, well suited for wheat, potatoes, and turuips. An eight- 

 shift rotation is pursued — grass, oats, potatoes, wheat, turnips, 

 oats, potatoes, and wheat with grass seeds. There is thus each 

 year one-fourth of the farm in wheat, one-fourth in oats, one- 

 fourth in potatoes, one-eighth in turnips, and one-eighth in 

 grass. Few stock are kept, all the surplus turnips, hay, grass, and 

 straw going to Dundee. The rent per acre is about £6, payable 

 partly in grain; and the increase since 1850 about 12s. 6d. per 

 acre. The valuation of the landward part of the parish of Dun- 



