128 ox THE AGRICULTUEE OF THE 



adapted to dairying purposes. Mr Elliot rears his own stock, and 

 always keeps a superior sliortliorn bull. The "woods are exten- 

 sive and ^vell managed, and the young plantations are thriving 

 very well. Very little land has been reclaimed on the Tarbat 

 estates for several years, but a good deal has been done in the 

 way of squaring up fields and removing old and useless hedges. 

 The majority of the Tarbat farms have also been recently re- 

 drained on the same terms as the farms of Fodderty and Kep- 

 poch. 



Coigach is chiefly pastoral, and lies in the parish of Loch Broom, 

 and has a coast line of nearly 40 miles with an area of about 

 150,000 acres. In 1850 the rental was L.2720, now it is L.4900. 

 Along the coast there is a large population of crofters, who, in 

 addition to allotments of arable land varying from 3 to 20 acres, 

 have in connection with each township a considerable extent of 

 hill pasture, upon which they graze their cattle and sheep. 

 There are several large sheep grazings on this estate, ranging 

 from 5000 to 50,000 acres, butthese shall be referred to afterwards. 

 Until within the last few years this extensive Highland property, 

 with its splendid mountain and loch scenery, was almost inacces- 

 sible except by sea. But now it is thoroughly opened up, nearly 

 30 miles of new roads having been constructed by the proprie- 

 trix since 1871, at a cost ranging from 2s. to 3s. per yard, or 

 L.176 to L.276 per mile. 



To aid the small tenants on her estates in improving the quality 

 of their stock (chiefly Highlanders), the proprietrix gives assist- 

 ance in the procuring of good bulls. Many of the crofters 

 engage in fishing pursuits, both at home and on the east 

 coast, in the counties of Caithness, Aberdeen, and Banff. It 

 should be mentioned, that a considerable portion of the rise of 

 ' the rental, both of Coigach and Strathpeffer, is accounted for by 

 the large increase in the rental of shootings. 



The large arable farm of Fodderty, and sheep farm of Glen 

 Skeach, both on the Strathpeffer property, are occupied by Messrs 

 Adam and Walter Arras. Fodderty extends to about 500 acres 

 of arable land, and is rented at L.844. The rotation followed is 

 the ordinary five-course shift, and good crops of wheat, barley, 

 oats, and turnips are grown. The turnip land gets a heavy 

 dose of farm-yard manure, and a liberal allowance of artificial 

 stuffs, chiefly dissolved bones and superphosphates, and from 

 1 to IJ cwt. of nitrate of soda. About 2 cwt. of this 

 latter stimulant was tried one year, but found not to have a ver}^ 

 beneficial effect. On the mossy land on the level part of the 

 farm grain crops are very apt to lodge ; and to prevent loss in 

 this way, beans are sometimes sown along with oats, No 

 cattle are bred on the farm, but a good many are bought in and 

 fed off for the spring markets, when they realise from L.22 to 



