30 ox THE AGRICULTURE OF 



At Southend and Shiskan the farms are large, and the soil in 

 many places will compare equally with the best land on the 

 mainland. At Shiskan, on Balnacoole and surrounding holdings, 

 mossy loam is found in great quantities, but on Sheddog and the 

 farms near the shore the soil is mostly a fine friable clay, with 

 a vein of gravel running through it, — easily wrought and raising- 

 good crops. The tields at Southend and Shiskan are level, and 

 some of the farms present rather a " scattered " appearance. 

 Agriculture at Lochranza is still carried on on very primitive 

 principles, and the soil is bare and poor in the extreme. The 

 men portion of the community combine the occupations of farmer 

 and fisherman — two callings having little in common — and after 

 the seed is sown they leave the island to prosecute the latter, 

 and the women are entrusted with the management of the crops 

 and stock. A wooden plough was seen in Lochranza not very 

 many years ago, and a woman has been seen ploughing within 

 the past few years. At Corrie, farming is conducted on the same 

 principles as at Lochranza and Whiting Bay. 



The greater portion of the arable land is divided into fields 

 and farms, fenced off by thorn hedges. These grow well over the 

 island, and when properly managed form excellent fences, but 

 in the majority of cases no care is expended on them, and as a 

 consequence they grow high and thin, and are useless. The 

 stocks of the small farmers — horses, cows, sh^ep, and even pigs — 

 have to be tethered to prevent their straying. Many of the 

 very small farmers have no horses ; others keep one each, 

 and get the loan of each other's animal to assist in ploughing. 

 In Whitiug Bay one or two of these farmers keep horses for 

 hiring purposes, and they plough the plots of their neighbours 

 during winter. 



The cows on these small farms are a very mixed breed." They 

 are neither Ayrshires, West Highlanders, Arran cows, nor Irish 

 cows ; they have the blood of all four in their veins. Irish bulls 

 have been in use at Lamlash and Whiting Bay, so have Ayrshires, 

 and so have West Highlanders. The natives were of course the 

 Arran breed — lively, intelligent-looking little creatures, with 

 black skins, small heads, bright eyes, and horns coming clean 

 out of the head. They are still to be found in the northern 

 district of the island, and weigh, when as fat as they can be 

 made on the poor pasture, about 11, 12, and sometimes as high as 

 14 stones of 24 lbs. each. 



The horses in the island generally have greatly improved dur- 

 ing the last thirty years, and this improvement has extended to 

 those in possession of the small farmers. Many of them are of 

 the hardy Highland breed — a type of horse well worth preserving, 

 on account of the ease with which he can be kept, and his admir- 

 able adaptability to the requirements of a mountainous country ; 



