13 J: ON THE AGEICULTUKE OF THE 



How, it may now be asked, have these 4000 acres of reclaimed 

 land been apportioned ? To begin with, upwards of 1200 acres 

 are held in the proprietor's own hands. Of these 800 acres are 

 worked under a five-course rotation in the farms of Mains of 

 Ardross and Easter Ardross. The remainino 400 acres are laid 

 down under permanent pasture, and of these 300 acres form part 

 of the pleasure grounds around Ardross Castle, which grounds 

 extend altogether to about 700 acres under wood and permanent 

 pasture. The castle, which was erected by Mr Matheson, is 

 situated upon the north bank of the river Alness, at an elevation 

 of 500 feet above the level of the sea, and about five miles dis- 

 tant therefrom. The castle itself is a very handsome edifice; 

 and the situation, now that the grounds are in thorough trim, is 

 indeed charming. The river Alness runs close by, and is in full 

 view from the castle windows. The laying down of the per- 

 manent pasture was considered very carefully by Mr Mackenzie, 

 and the course pursued is worthy of more than a mere general 

 notice. Where the soil was thin and moorish, the seeds were 

 sown broadcast with rape seed (without a grain crop), at the rate 

 of 12 lbs. to the acre, the trenched land having been well 

 harrowed and broken, and top-dressed with 1 cwt. of superphos- 

 phate and 2 cwt. of bone meal to the acre. In the months of 

 August and September sheep were put on to crop the rape and 

 grass, and early in winter the land was ploughed so as to get the 

 soil exposed to the action of the weather and thoroughly pul- 

 verised. Next year a crop of oats was grown, and immediately 

 after harvest the land was again ploughed. In the following 

 spring it was thoroughly grubbed with rank teethed harrows and 

 sown with the foUowincj mixture : — 



'o 



1^ lbs. Meadow Foxtail, 

 -J „ Sweet Vernal, 



2 „ Common Rough Cocksfoot, 



3 „ Hard Fescue, 

 1 „ Sheep Fescue, 

 3 „ Meadow Fescue, 

 6 „ Italian Rye-Grass, 



14 „ Ayrshire Evergreen Rye- j 4 „ Cow Grass, and 

 Grass, 8 „ Rape, 



Timothy, 



5? 



lbs. Hudson's Bay Meadow Hay 

 Grass, 

 „ Rough - Stalked Meadow 

 Grass, 

 Major Trefoil. 

 Alsyke, 

 White Clover, 



The land was top-dressed with 1 cwt. nitrate of soda, 1 cwt. of 

 dissolved bones, and 3 cwt. of bone meal to the acre. All the 

 covering the seed got was a careful rolling with the Cambridge 

 roller, and thus all the seed came up regularly. About the be- 

 ginning of August the ground was ready for sheei^, but care was 

 taken lest the sheep should make it too bare. They were al- 

 lowed to crop only so as to secure a good sole. In September 

 following the land was again heavily rolled with the view of 



