96 ON THE AGRICULTURE OF THE 



The introduction of these improved implements has not only 

 economised labour, but has secured better cultivation ; while the 

 native labourers themselves — an industrious, quiet, contented lot 

 of people — have in return for their greatly ameliorated condition 

 learned to execute their work with better taste and more care 

 than when driving the " rung " carts or " tum'lers/' and fed on 

 *' sowens" or "brochan." Steam power also came to the aid of 

 the labourers some four or five years ago ; and now it is employed 

 extensively in farm work. Through roads have been of a high 

 class for many years, but since 1850 a great deal has been done 

 in the way of constructing and improving local or service 

 roads. 



Probably the last twenty-five years have done more in the im- 

 provement of the live stock of the farm than of any other branch 

 of agriculture. By the introduction of superior sires the general 

 standard of farm horses has been raised very considerably, while 

 among cattle the improvement has been still greater. In a word, 

 it may be said that Eoss and Cromarty are not breeding but 

 feeding counties. Eighty or a hundred years ago a great many 

 black cattle of a very inferior stamp were reared in both counties, 

 and sent away into more southern parts to be fed. Even yet on 

 the smaller farms and lighter land a few cattle are bred ; but 

 throughout the counties generally, feeding is the order of the 

 day. The extension of the Highland Eailway into the counties 

 gave a great impetus to cattle-feeding, and since then this im- 

 portant branch of farming has been one of the leading features of 

 their agriculture. It is certainly wdthin the mark to say that for 

 'every bullock fed some forty or fifty years ago, ten are now prepared 

 for the beef market. Oh two of the largest farms in Easter Eoss 

 in 1837 only from 5 to 10 acres of swedes were sown, and even 

 those small plots were considered symptoms of extravagance. 

 ISlow about three-fourths of the turnip break on the better farms 

 of both counties are sown with swedes, wdiile a few go even the 

 length of four-fifths. And while the number of cattle fed every 

 year has increased tenfold within the past forty or fifty years, that 

 of sheep has increased an hundredfold. These are high-sounding 

 statements, but nevertheless they are correct. A great many 

 pigs are also kept on most farms, and on some upwards of 100 

 are fed off every year. 



The extent and character of the agricultural improvements of 

 recent years having been briefly indicated, it will now be interest- 

 ing to turn to the Valuation Eoll, from which we are able to give 

 a few interesting and thoroughly reliable statistics. The following 

 table shows the total valuation of both counties (exclusive of 

 railways and royal burghs) at various periods since 1674 : — 



