166 ON THE AGRICULTUEE OF THE 



the island, and the crofters' wives and daughters go to the 

 shielings every day in summer to milk the cows and carry food 

 to the herds ; and to make the cows stand to be milked they 

 take with them baskets full of fish-bones and sea-weed, which 

 the animals chew away at till they are relieved of their milk. 

 The great extent of pasture in the island enables the crofters to 

 keep more cattle during summer than they can carry on through 

 the winter, and generally by the time the stormy months are 

 past the cattle are very lean in condition, so lean in fact that 

 they often require well-nigh the half of the whole summer to 

 make up for what they lost during winter. The crofters also err 

 in keeping their cows to too long an age. They frequently keep 

 their cows till they are twelve or fifteen years old, and through- 

 out the whole of their lives these animals are fed vrell during 

 summer and reduced to mere skeletons in winter. This system 

 is undoubtedly a very bad one, but as a class the crofters are slow 

 to adopt new plans, however good they really may be. Of the 

 principles of breeding cattle they have no idea whatever, and 

 though Sir James is laying out large sums of money to improve 

 the breed of cattle, the native crofters are very unwilling to take 

 advantage of these opportunities. Badly as they manage their 

 cattle, the crofters are still less careful in the management of 

 their sheej). Xo care is taken to select good tups, and from 

 generation to generation they have gone on continually breeding 

 from the same stock. Like the cattle, sheep are fed sparingly in 

 winter, and before pasture can be had outside large numbers of 

 them frequently die solely for want of food. The only outlet for 

 the crofters' cattle and sheep when fed is the Stornoway market, 

 and when killed their sheep usually average about 34 lbs in 

 weight. Poor though many of the sheep be, the average price 

 obtained is now about 6d. per lb. First of all the crofters 

 should be induced to lessen the number of their sheep, and then 

 by the securing of really good tups a great im.provement would 

 be effected very speedily. The Lewis crofters eke out the limited 

 revenues of their small holdings from the sea, and when fish are 

 plentiful they earn a considerable amount in a comparatively 

 small space of time. From all sources their incomes are very 

 small, but they are frugal, moderate-living people, and on the 

 whole they live a quiet, contented, comfortable life. 



Rotation, Rent, Leases, and Size of Farms. 

 Rotation. — By far the majority of farmers in both counties 

 pursue a five-shift rotation — 1st, turnips and potatoes ; 2d, 

 wheat and barley ; 3d, hay and grass ; 4th, grass ; 5th, oats. 

 And there can be no doubt that as a rule this system of cropping 

 is the most suitable for both counties. It is neither too heavv 

 nor too light on the land, and yet it affords facilities for bringing 



