84: ON THE AGRICULTURE OF THE 



but demanding great care in the cultivation. If well manured, 

 timely cultivated, and well seeded, it seldom fails to yield a good 

 crop. The soil on the lower parts of the rising land in this dis- 

 trict is clayey also, but the admixture of it being smaller, the 

 land is more easily cultivated than on the level below, and is 

 suitable for the growth of all kinds of crops. The higher culti- 

 vated land is mountain clay or moorish soil. The formed be- 

 comes good soil with long continued good treatment, but the 

 latter is very difl&cult to improve. In the Contin district the soil 

 varies from strong clayed loam to light friable mould. In the 

 valley of Strathpeffer, also, the soil varies a good deal. On the 

 higher land on the north side of the valley the soil is excellent 

 reddish loam, with a very little clay amongst it. On the low 

 land on the same side the soil is mossy mould on a blue clay 

 subsoil. On the high land on the south side the soil is a soft 

 fibrous red clay, while on the low land on the same side the soil 

 is composed chiefly of moss and gravel. The land on the farm 

 of Fodderty in this valley affords a very striking illustration of 

 what we hold to be a curious fact, viz., that, speaking generally 

 for the northern counties of Scotland, the soil as a rule is heavier 

 and richer on land with a northern and north-eastern exposure 

 than on land lying to the south or south-west. Mr Arras, the 

 enterprising tenant of Fodderty, finds that w^hile turnips grow a 

 much heavier crop on the north side than on the south, grain 

 varies still more. On the north side barley yields 5|- quarters 

 per acre, and weighs about 56 lbs. per bushel; while on the south 

 side the yield is seldom much over 4 quarters, and the weight 

 usually about 54 lbs. Wheat and oats show almost a like differ- 

 ence, oats even a little more in weight. Between Dingwall and 

 Alness the soil varies a good deal. Close to the Firth some of it 

 is very rich loam, while on the heights a short distance inland 

 light shingly loam prevails. On the Ardross property around 

 Alness, the soil varies from light black loam to heavy brown 

 loam nearly 2 feet deep, lying on arenaceous clay. Between 

 Alness and Invergordon, and throughout the parishes of Kilmuir, 

 Easter and Logic Easter, the soil is mainly light, sharp loam, 

 lying on clay or gravel, and here and there very close on the 

 sandstone rock. While some patches are very light and shingly, 

 on the other there are a good many fields of heavy rich black 

 loam. The west end of the parish of Nigg is covered to the 

 depth of nearly 2 feet wdth light drifting sand, which on being 

 removed, is found to overlie a deposit of the very richest of black 

 loam. Tradition tells us that previous to the 1 7th century, the 

 west end of Nigg was one of the most fertile and best cultivated 

 parts of Eoss-shire, and that like Culbin, near Forres, and 

 Morichmore, near Tain, the whole was buried by drifting sand in 

 one single night. Loam predominates through the remainder of 



