COUNTIES OF EOSS AND CROMAETY. 145 



and laid down again with grass. Mr Young's consignments of 

 live beeves to the London Christmas market have been a credit 

 to Eoss-shire for several years. He feeds 160 cattle, usually 

 three-year olds, for the southern markets, and winters 60 

 younger beasts. He breeds none, but buys in the very best 

 crosses to be had throughout the country, and in recent years he 

 has competed creditably with the well-known Aberdeenshire 

 feeders in the Smithfield market. His cattle are fed on turnips 

 and straw, with a liberal allowance of cake and corn during the 

 last two months of their feeding. He also keeps a superior 

 stock of about 400 half-bred ewes, and from these and Leicester- 

 tups he rears from 500 to 600 three-part bred lambs, which he 

 feeds for sale in May or June of the following year. Sheep are 

 fed on turnips and hay, with a moderate quantity of cake and 

 corn during the last two months. 



Almost adjoining Mr Young's farms is the extensive farm of 

 Balmuchy, occupied by Mr John Gordon. It extends to 450 

 acres, all arable, and is rented at L.630. The soil is mostly light 

 fertile loam lying upon the Old Eed Sandstone, and has been 

 under cultivation for a very long time. The farm is worked on a 

 six-shift rotation — 1st, turnips; 2d, barley; 3d, 4th, and 5th, grass; 

 and 6th, wheat and oats. The land intended for turnips is 

 ploughed immediately after it is cleared of grain, and allowed to 

 lie in the furrow till sufficiently dry in spring, when it is grubbed 

 and harrowed, and thoroughly cleaned. With the exception 

 of a few acres of yellows for early use, the whole break is put 

 under swedes. In addition to 28 loads of farm-yard manure, 

 each acre gets from 6 to 8 cwt. of artificial manure, chiefly dis- 

 solved bones and bone ash, with J cwt. of nitrate of soda, as a 

 stimulant. The crop of turnips is generally a very heavy one, and 

 v^ry rich in quality. The farm steading w^as thoroughly repaired 

 by the proprietor at the beginning of the present lease, and is in 

 every way suitable for the advaQced system of farming pursued 

 by Mr Gordon. The courts are all under cover, and are very ex- 

 tensive and convenient for feedino:, wdiich is here carried on on a 

 most extensive scale. One large court, measuring 87 feet long 

 by 50 feet wide, is covered by one immense roof, and is divided 

 in the interior into stalls, boxes, and folds, which afford ample 

 accommodation for no fewer than 58 feeding cattle. The ar- 

 rangements for distributing the food are very convenient, and 

 with respect to light and ventilation the erection is all that 

 could be desired. These additions to IMr Gordon's farm must 

 have entailed a considerable outlay on the proprietor, but consi- 

 dering the facilities they afford for the production of beef, the 

 money must be regarded as economically applied. Mr CJordon 

 keeps four cows for a supply of milk, and rears the calves of 

 these cows. lie buys in a great many of the best two-year olds 



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