COUNTIES OF EDIXBUEGH AXD LIXLITHGOW. 45 



and enriched all his soil by the consumption of cake and the 

 liberal use of manures. Mr Wilson has effected great improve- 

 ment at Eiccarton, by draining and top-dressing; and a similar 

 statement may be made anent the farms of AVest Craigs, "Wood- 

 end, and Hilderstone in the south-west of the county. Mr 

 Meikle, Seatield, has drained almost all his farm within the 

 currency of the present lease, the landlord finding the tiles and 

 the tenant paying for the cutting. In short, on nearly every 

 farm in both counties, improvements, more or less, have been 

 effected within the past quarter of a century. The reclamation 

 of land has necessarily been attended with great expense in 

 fencing. In some instances, dry stone walls have been built ; 

 in others, wire fencing has been substituted. Clumps of trees 

 have also been planted with good effect, thus affording shelter for 

 stock and enhancing the beauty of the out-stretching landscape. 



Another noticeable improvement is in the deeper cultivation 

 of the land already under the plough. The farmers, as a rule, 

 manure with no sparing hand, and of late years, in addition to the 

 large amount of artificial manures used, an enormous quantity of 

 extraneous food for stock has also been purchased. The Con- 

 sumption of feeding cakes and other substances upon pasture is 

 one of the best methods of enriching the soil, especially cotton 

 cake, which has a higher manurial value than any other commo- 

 dity in the market. 



The Highland Society, with many Local Agricultural Societies, 

 have been of "reat usefulness in the advancement of ai^riculture. 

 The annual shows connected with these serve as a healthy im- 

 petus to farmers in the improvement of their stock, and perhaps 

 in no other branch of husbandry has so much progress been made 

 as in the breeding and quality of sheep. Much credit is due to 

 the promoters of the Lothian Eam Sales in this matter, as the 

 annual dispersion of so large a quantity of well-bred rams must 

 have a wholesome influence upon the breed in the districts where 

 their several lots are cast. Farmers' Clubs have also done some 

 .service, inasmuch as members are enabled to discuss questions 

 and interchange ideas, by which tlie intelligent mind will rarely 

 fail to profit in some degree. 



In both counties, the farm implemen s in use are of tlie first 

 order. Nearly the whole of the grain is threslied out by steam 

 machines, tlie chimney-stalk forming a conspicuous landmark 

 on almost every large holding. There are still on the smaller 

 farms a few machines driven by horses or water-power, and oc- 

 casionally the monotonous tap-tap of the barnman's Hail may yet 

 be heard. ^Mowers, reapers, tedders, hay-rakes, in fact, all kind>' 

 of labour-saving machines, are now in almost every farmer's pos- 

 session ; while single and drill-])loughs, iron harrows, seed-drills, 

 and various other improved implements, render the working of 



