COUNTIES OF EDINBUEGH AND LINLITHGOW. 55 



splendid weather; cereals were just assuming that beautiful 

 golden hue which brings comfort to the farmer's heart, turnips 

 were covering the drills, and bands of men and women were busy- 

 in the fields. We found the country delightful for a rustic 

 ramble — here a clump of wood, there a purling rill — here a herd 

 of pretty Ayrshire cattle, there a flock of mountain blackfaced 

 sheep ; while ever and anon the prospect changed from hill to 

 dale — from cornfield to potatoes, turnips, or grass, and back to 

 the cornfield again. Our starting-point was from Edinburgh, 

 and the clock of the old Tron Church slowly struck eight on a 

 lovely morning as we took our departure from " Auld Eeekie." 

 Keeping the main road in a westerly direction, we duly arrived 

 at the village of Corstorphine. The land in this locality is 

 moderately level, the soil consisting mostly of a rich black loam, 

 interspersed with patches of sand and clay. Much of the ground 

 is laid out in well-cultivated gardens, which supply fruit and 

 vegetables for the Edinburgh market. The country is nicely 

 wooded, and contains many fine residences. The fields are care- 

 fully managed, and bear fine crops in rotation. Diverging a little 

 to the south, we saw the generous farming practised by Mr 

 Itussell, Saughton Hall Mains, and that of his neighbour, Mr Dick- 

 son, who has long been a successful grower of turnips. Like 

 many others in the locality, Mr Dickson ploughs in the fall, and 

 grubs in the spring, as he finds this yjrocedure to answer well for 

 turnip culture. At Corstorphine Bank, Mr Sanderson farms 

 about 400 acres well. He keeps six pairs of horses, and works 

 his land with sliirht variations, on the ordinarv shift. ^Ir Jack, 

 North Gyle, has 300 to 400 acres, which appear to be in fine 

 order ; but as he was from home at the time of our visit, we 

 did not succeed in obtaining any particulars of management. 

 Proceeding onward in the direction of Linlithgow, our hap was to 

 light upon Mv William W. Anderson, Norton Mains, who farms 

 400 acres. Tlie soils upon this farm are various, some being heavy, 

 and others friable, uj)on a stiff clay. He approves of subsoiling, 

 whether heavy or light ; and is a staunch supporter of deep cul- 

 ture. He keeps four pairs of horses ; and in addition, adopts 

 steam cultivation to a certain extent, which he finds of great 

 benefit, especially the grubbing. His rotation is — 1st, grass ; 

 2d, oats; :-5d, potatoes ; 4th, wheat; otli, turnips, sown with 

 artificial manure, and eaten off with sheep where the land is 

 strong ; and bth, barley. Most of the produce is sold off the 

 land, and an (.'([uivalem in farm-yard manun^ ])urchased from the 

 dairies of Edinburgh and (Jlasgow. Occasionally, a fitdd is kcju in 

 grass threeorf()uryear.s. This season, 187(),]Nrr Anderson has thirty 

 acres of ])otatoes growing in a field broken from tlie Ica-turrow, 

 which had ])ruviously been grazed four years, when the enormous 

 c|uantity of 145 tons of cake, principally cotton, had been cou- 



