OT 



COUNTIES OF EDINBUEGH AND LINLITHGOW. 37 



We received various estimates as to the quantity of milk an 

 average cow would produce. Some of the best, in the height of the 

 season, give six gallons daily for a long time, while five is common. 

 A srood averasje for a dairv, throuohout the season, is about four 

 gallons ; this is seldom exceeded, and not often reached ; three 

 and a-half gallons will be about the most correct figure to put 

 down approximately. We have heard it stated at three gallons, 

 but this, we are convinced, after making numerous inquiries, is 

 too little. The selling price is lid. per gallon, so that a cow 

 which holds out at three and a-half gallons per day will biing 

 in 24s. IJd. per week. There are, however, many incidental 

 expenses, not calculated in the returns, which bring up the cost 

 of keep so near that of amount realised by produce, that there is 

 a very small balance kept for profit. There is sometimes an off- 

 set in the difference between the buying-in and selling-out price 

 of cattle, especially where the milk is much forced. 



Shorthorns. — There is comparatively little fancy breeding 

 carried on in either county. The shorthorn mania has probably 

 not reached this district ; if so, it has at least gained very little 

 ground. Still there are two very nice herds of shorthorns, one at 

 Dalkeith House, the property of the Duke of Buccleuch, and the 

 other at Halkerston, the owner being Mr Currie. They are both 

 well descended, and are carefully managed, fresh strains of blood 

 being introduced from time to time from herds of repute. The 

 commercial stocks of the counties, generally, may be classed 

 under the head of Avrshirs and shorthorn crosses, with a fair 

 proportion of Dutch in the city dairies. 



Sheep Farming. 



As a sheep-producing county, J\Iid-Lothian is the fourteenth 

 in Scotland ; while West Lotliian stands very low, two coun- 

 ties only, namely, Clackmannan and Xairn, returning a smaller 

 number. Lut as we remarked of cattle, so we may say of 

 sheep, that if the returns were made earlier in the season, the 

 present figures would be much exceeded. Many of the tur- 

 nip sheep upon the lowlands have been disposed of, and the new 

 stocks are not laid in v/hen the returns are made. The majority 

 of the sheep accredited to the counties are therefore breeding 

 Hocks. On account of the rise in the price of meat during recent 

 years and the stagnation in the grain trade, more attention has 

 lieen paid to sheep-breeding, rearing and feeding. The number 

 of sheep was in — 



Year. PMinbur^h. Linlitlif^'ow. 



18G6, 113,479 23,070 



18(>7, 153,704 28,720 



18G8, IT) 7,330 23,050 



18G0, 157,1(14 1G,882 



1870, 15G,282 15,GG4 



Year fMinbnrgli, Linlithgow. 



1871, 103,387 16,848 



1872, 1G2,4I)2 lf),534 



1873, 17U,:jo1 22.0M 



1874, 171,008 22,(;:)2 



1875, 172,5)82 20,501 



