COUNTIES OF EOSS AND CROMARTY. 151 



Mr Middleton has been cultivating x^art of his land by steam 

 power during the past two seasons, and as far as can yet be 

 ascertained the effect is likely to be beneficial. The land in- 

 tended for turnips is very carefully cultivated and heavily 

 manured, and the crop of turnips usually ranges from 25 to 30 

 tons per acre. 



Leaving the Clay and proceeding eastward, we pass the ex- 

 tensive farm of Fearn,* so long occupied by the late Mr George 

 Middleton, the neat, well-managed little farm of Mulderg, leased 

 by Mrs McGregor and family, and the compact little estate of 

 Rhynie, which has been considerably improved of late by its 

 owner, Mr John Eobertson, and reach the property of Geanies, 

 belonging to the heirs of the late ^Ir Kenneth Murray. AVe 

 were invited by the late Mr Kenneth Murray to visit his pictur- 

 esque residence and valuable little estate, on Saturday the 8th 

 of July last, and fearing that he w^ould be unable to return from 

 a business trip to Stirling to meet us at Geanies, he favoured 

 us with a letter of introduction to his eldest son, asking him to 

 show us " the house and grounds, and be hospitable •" He was 

 there himself to welcome us, and exercise that hospitality which 

 was so characteristic of him ; but alas ! poor man, he is now no 

 more. While on a visit to the Duke of Sutherland at Dunrobin 

 Castle, along wdth Sir Salar Jung, he w\^s taken suddenly ill, 

 and on Monday, the 24th of July, he died, his death being sorely 

 lamented by a very wide circle of friends. The late Mr Kenneth 

 Murray w^as a gentleman of no ordinary stamp. His business 

 capacities were indeed wonderful; and besides acting as the Duke 

 of Sutherland's chief adviser in the carrying out of the extensive 

 reclamation works now going on at Lairg, and managing his own 

 property and superintending improvements and changes on 

 several other estates throughout the country, he acted as agent 

 for the Commercial Bank of Scotland in Tain, Tvas Provost of 

 that burgh, and paid close attention to all matters connected 

 with the county. His experience as an agriculturist was ex- 

 tensive, and by farmers and others his advice w^'is often asked, 

 and always heartily given. Verily, we shall not soon look upon 

 his like again ! 



In 184U, when Mr Kenneth Murray obtained charge of the 

 estate of Geanies from his late brother, Mr AVilliam Murray 

 (who died about ten years ago, leaving j\Ir Kenneth as pro- 

 prietor) the arable area was only 201G acres. But Mr Kenneth 

 immediately began improving and reclaiming, and in a wonder- 

 fully short time he extended the arable land to about 4000 

 acres. The new land was reclaimed partly from moor, partly 



* Since the above was written the farm of Foam lias been let, along with Mul- 

 derg, on lease of nineteen years, to ]Mr James M'Cregor anJ brothers, at a cousidei • 

 able rise on the former rent. 



