36 ON THE AGRICULTURE OF THE 



to the cross breeds. On many of the large dairy farms pure Ayr- 

 shires are kept. Mr James Fleming, Coates, Penicuik, has, off 

 and on, 50 of this favourite breed ; the Duke of Buccleuch has 

 20 at Dalkeith Park; Mr Ainslie, Hillend, has 40 to 50; Mr 

 Walter Kidd, about 50 at Balleny ; and Mr Eobertson, Harlaw, 

 Currie, has between 30 and 40 of his own rearing. Mr Meikle, 

 Seafield, keeps pure Ayrshires, his herd, for dairy purposes, num- 

 bering about 40 ; Mr Mackay, West Craigs, has 20 of the same 

 breed, and Mr M' Vicar, Woodend, 15 to 20. The three last 

 named stocks being in Linlithgow, the owners do not send 

 their milk into Edinburgh, but find an ofigate in another way. 

 Mr Meikle has sent his churned milk to Newcastle for seven- 

 teen or eig^hteen vears. The Penicuik and Currie districts in Mid- 

 Lothian are both well adapted for dairy stock ; and when sweet 

 milk began to be scarce in Edinburgh, during the time of rinder- 

 pest, several farmers commenced driving their milk to the town, ' 

 and have done so ever since. The method of feeding varies mucli 

 according to the kind of cows kept, the district to which the 

 dairy belongs, and other circumstances. On a dairy-farm in the 

 Penicuik district, the cows are kept upon the pastures in summer, 

 and get a feed of draff twice a-day ; in winter they have boiled 

 turnips mixed with feeding meals and draff twice a-day, raw 

 turnips twice, with hay and straw each once in the day. The 

 cost of the food is calculated at 12s. per week. Upon another 

 farm, the cattle get cut vetches and meal in summer, besides 

 liberty upon a good pasture ; and in winter have turnips three 

 times a-day, and hay or straw twice. Cost of maintenance, 

 exclusive of attendance, 12s. to 13s. in winter ; in summer, 7s. to 

 7s. 6d. In the parish of Torphichen, Linlithgow, a farmer who 

 drives milk, feeds on turnips, meal, draff, and hay in winter, at a 

 cost of 10s. to lis., and estimates the summer-keep at L.7 for 

 twenty weeks. Another farmer in the parish of Linlithgow, who 

 feeds in much the same way, calculates lis. to 12s. as a fair aver- 

 age all the year round. His cows for this, return three tofourgallons 

 of milk daily throughout the season. On a farm in the Cuirie 

 district, the cows are grazed in summer, and have a feed of cut 

 grass at night ; in the winter they get turnips, draff, meal, cake, 

 and straw. Estimated cost, 14s. per week. The instances quoted 

 .scarcely give a fair criterion of the cost of keeping a cow, as the 

 owners, having most of the food in their own hands, do not esti- 

 mate everything at full price. The city dairies show a much larger 

 expenditure. At Morningside the cows average about 18s. per 

 head. Mr Honey man. Dairy, gives 19s. to 21s. as the probable 

 cost. Mr Mylne, Niddrie Mains, gives 17s. 6d., and some others 

 estimate L.I. This may be a little over the mark, but where 

 cows are kept in the stalls all the year, the expense is undoubt- 

 edly heavy. 



