COUNTIES OF EDINBURGH AND LINLITHGOW. 63 



now produces good crops, but the climate is ouly of a second- 

 rate character in the higher reaches. At Mount-Lothian, a little 

 to the south-east of Penicuik, Mr Stevenson has 300 or 400 

 Cheviot ewes. His land is part in moor, part in permanent 

 orass, and the remainder arable. At Coates, a little to the north- 

 west of Penicuik village, Mr James Fleming has a dairy of Ayr- 

 shire cattle numbering 70. Other dairies in the locality are those of 

 Mr Macdonald, Spittal; ]\Ir ^Toble, Howgate; and Mr Pate, Cross- 

 house. Eents vary considerably. Some of the best land, capable 

 of growing turnips, grass, and oats well, realises as far as L.2 per 

 acre and upwards, while the worst is rented at only a few shil- 

 lings. On our return journey we passed through the parish of 

 Lasswade to Dalkeith. Lasswade contains some moorish, bleak, 

 and unsheltered land in the south, but consists mainly of a 

 fertile plain, well sheltered with timber. A large breadth of land 

 has been reclaimed in twenty-five years ; other extensive plots 

 have been limed and dried by the cutting of open drains. In the 

 locality are some nice gardens, producing strawberries and pot- 

 lierbs for the neighbouring markets. Three -fourths of a century 

 ago there were as many as fifty Small's ploughs in the parish, 

 and the march of improvement has never been suffered to lag. 

 Cattle feeding, sheep farming, crop raising, and market garden- 

 ing are all carried on in an industrious spirit. A few of the rents 

 are very high, being as far as L.3 to L.4: for choice fields, and 

 double for vegetable ground. At Hillend, Mr Ainslie has a fine 

 rlock of Leicesters, which have already been noticed. In the 

 parish of Dalkeith the surface is beautifully undulating. The 

 rentof the landishigh,particularlythatoccupiedby gardens. At the 

 close of the last century, farms let at L.l to L.l, 15s. and L.2 per 

 acre, meadow land at L.o to L.5, and gardens as far as L.5, 10s. 

 Since then rents have gone up in connnon with other districts, 

 the soil being fruitful, and there being a ready sale for the pro- 

 duce of both gardens and fields. Almost seven-eighths of the land 

 belongs to the Duke of liuccleuch. His Grace has a nice herd 

 of shorthorns at Dalkeith l^ark, which have recently risen into 

 repute. His Leicesters also have acquired fame in sale-rings and 

 show-yards. 



A pleasant walk in the cool of the day brought us once more 

 to ICdinburgh. We were highly delighted with our rambles, as 

 we had had (jcular demonstration of what can be done in a country 

 possessed of a fairly productive soil and good agricultural capabi- 

 lities in general, when peopled with a persevering class of tenantry. 

 We visited several otlier farms in the neighbourhood of Edin- 

 burgh, as well as in the east and south-east of ]\Iid- Lothian, buL 

 we need not enter into the ])articulars of management, as they 

 differ little from those on many farms already described. 



