COUNTIES OF EOSS AND CKOMARTY. 119 



still very fair crops are usually grown, and the majority of the 

 crofters live comfortably and contentedly. 



The 196 Scots acres allotted to the Conanside estate formed 

 part of what had been previously divided and planted ; and the 

 wood was not removed for about ten years after the division in 

 1827. In 1841 this land, extending to about 245 imperial acres, 

 was let, along with 20 acres of adjoining land, at a rent of Is. 6d. 

 per acre, on leases of nineteen years, to hfteen crofters who under- 

 took to reclaim the whole, receiving therefor L.5 for each acre of 

 improved land at the close of their leases. Some of these crofters, 

 notwithstanding this encouragement, did nothing ; others im- 

 proved only part of their land; while some improved the whole 

 during the'first lease. By 1860 about half the improvable landhad 

 been reclaimed; and at that time new nineteen years' leases were 

 Wintered into at an average rent of 14s. per arable acre, and Is. 6d. 

 per acre of waste land, with the L.5 premium on its improve- 

 ment. But practically most of the crofters sit at about Os. per 

 ■arable acre, having sunk this melioration for a reduction of rent 

 equivalent to 8 per cent, on the L.5 per acre to which they were 

 ■<3ntitled. By 1878, when the leases again expire, most of the 

 land will be under rotation. This piece of land is probably one 

 ■of the worst on the whole commonty. The soil is light and 

 gravelly, the rock underlies it at no great distance from the sur- 

 face ; and the crops are always light, and suffer much from 

 drought. In fact, very few of the wells retain water all through a 

 dry summer ; and at the present rate of wages it can be profitable 

 neither to the landlord nor the tenant to reclaim and cultivate 

 J and of such inferior quality. Sir Kenneth lately trenched and 

 brought into cultivation about 40 acres of waste land adjoining 

 these crofts, from which he now receives a rent of L.l per acre. 

 The land was worth about 8s. per acre before being reclaimed, 

 and when under heath as wintering for hill sheep. The increase of 

 rent is thus only 12s. The cost of the improvement, including 

 cleaning and draining and building, came to about L.24 per 

 acre, so that the interest received on the outlay is only 2J per 

 -cent. From the improvement of a similar subject Sir Kenneth 

 would not now realise even this profit; and really it is very doubtful 

 whether or not such an unremunerative speculation is worth the 

 toil and trouble of the croiter. There was a tjood deal, however, 

 <jf richer land on other parts of ]\Iul])uie, and on most of these 

 parts l)ot]i tlie landlords and tenants have l)cen very fairly remu- 

 nerati^d for their outlay and lab(nir. The 306 imperial acres 

 iittached to the Allangrange estates liave almost all been made 

 araljle, and are n(jw pruducing very fair crops of oats, potatoes, 

 and turni})s. The greater ])urtion of this ])iece of the old (.om- 

 monty was given oil in crofts and improved by these small ten- 

 ants, as was the case with the land apportioned to Sir Kenneth. 



