60 ON THE AGRICULTURE OF THE 



His rotation is — 1st, oats ; 2d, turnips, potatoes, and beans, with 

 a little in naked fallow ; 3d, wheat or barley, sown down with 

 grass-seeds, and one or two years in grass, as the case may be. 

 Sometimes wheat is taken after fallow, at others barley. The 

 fields are of large size — 18 to 20 acres — and well laid out. The 

 high land is occasionally kept in pasture for several years, and 

 sheep run upon it. Cross-bred cattle are fed in winter to con- 

 sume the straw and turnips ; these often leave a handsome 

 balance for their keep when sold off fat. Wood-pigeons and 

 rabbits are much complained of. When we visited the farm, a 

 stack of wheat was just being threshed, which was exceedingly 

 deficient in kernel, owing to the destructiveness of the former. 

 Mr John Eobertson keeps a dairy of 25 to 30 Ayrshire and 

 cross-bred cattle at Ochiltree Castle. The farm extends to 350 

 acres, and is the property of the Earl of Rosebery. He always 

 drives the milk churned into Edinburgh three times per week in 

 the summer, and once in the winter. At Wester Ochiltree, Mr 

 David Elint holds 250 acres from the same proprietor. He also 

 has a nice herd of dairy cattle, and drives his milk into Edin- 

 burgh. 



Making now a zig-zag course in a south-westerly direction, we 

 enter the parish of Torphichen, the surface of which rises in Cairn 

 Maple to 1498 feet, being the highest point in West Lothian. 

 The land is generally fertile, if we excej)t a small tract of wet 

 moor towards the extreme west. In the south-west it is likewise 

 of a moorish nature, but of better quality. Some years ago, 

 belts of trees were planted with good effect, as they not only 

 beautify the scenery, but afford good shelter for stock. There is 

 a nice lake in the parish covering an area of 22 acres. Perhaps 

 one of the best farms is that occupied by Mr James Gardner, 

 Hilderstone. It extends to 228 acres, and is all under the 

 plough. The fourth oi- sixth shift is adopted, i.e., 1st, oats ; 2d^ 

 potatoes or turnips ; 3d, barley ; and from one to three years in 

 grass. Ten or 12 cross cattle are kept for dairy purposes, and the 

 milk driven into Bathgate. About 30 cattle are also annually 

 fattened on cake, straw, and turnips, thus leaving a good heap of 

 manure for spring dressing. Clydesdale horses of the first stamp 

 are reared, and long prices have lately been obtained for the sur- 

 plus animals, reaching from L.70 to over L.IOO. >To sheep are 

 kept in summer, but two or three score of hoggets are wintered 

 and sold off in the spring. In twenty years, Mr Gardner's rent 

 has gone up L.60, — 28s. per acre being the present rate of 

 payment. Land in the vicinity varies from 20s. to 30s. !Much 

 has been drained and otherwise improved within the time named, 

 both upon this farm and many others in the locality. The 

 hedges, too, are far better kept than they were even a very few 

 years ago. In the extreme south-west of Linlithgow is the farm 



