COUiNTIES OF ELGIN AND NAIRN. 97 



lbs. ; and clover, of which there are different varieties, from 

 6 lbs. to 11 lbs. In regard to the extent of land under grass, 

 Morayshire stands twelfth, and Nairnshire thirtieth in Scot- 

 land. 



Permanent Pasture. — There is a remarkable decrease in the 

 acreage under permanent pasture or grass, not broken up in 

 rotation, exclusive of heath and mountain land, since 1854. At 

 that date there were 16,105 acres in Morayshire, and now there 

 are only 5611. In Nairnshire the area w^as 9833 acres in 1854, 

 and in 1881, 2149 acres. 



Root Crops. 



Turnips. — The area under turnips at different periods since 

 1857 may be given thus : — 



Moray. Nairn. 



Year. Acres. Acres. 



1857, 12,737 4678 



1870, 15,660 3975 



1876, 16,549 4159 



1881, 16,659 4102 



Increase since 1857, 3922 Decrease since 1857, 576 



The figures show a perceptible advance in the cultivation of 

 turnips in Morayshire, and a gradual but observable decrease in 

 acreage devoted to this crop in Nairnshire since 1857. Turnips 

 have been coming more into favour among Morayshire farmers 

 every year. We have already alluded to the important fact of 

 changing the rotation of many farms from the five to the six- 

 shift course, in consequence of the tendency of the turnip crop 

 to be attacked by tinger-and-toe. Moreover, the six-shift 

 rotation entails less cost, both in labour and manure, than the 

 five-shift course. With the six-shift course the land gets a 

 longer rest from turnips than in the five-shift rotation, and 

 therefore the crop is supposed to be more vigorous and better 

 able to protect itself from the disease ; a change to the six-shift 

 would thus seem advisable. In favourable years a heavy crop 

 of turnips is generally raised. The roots, as a rule, are very 

 superior in point of quality. Swedes are extensively cultivated, 

 being the most nutritive and best for feeding cattle. The yield 

 of turnips varies from 14 to 25 tons per acre ; in exceptional 

 cases as much as 27 and 30 tons are returned. The value per 

 acre of good turnips, when carted off the farm, varies from £8 

 to £10, which is at the rate of from 9s. to 12s. per ton. When 

 turnips are consumed on the farm by sheep, the average cost per 

 acre is reduced to from £6 to £7, it being calculated that sheep, 

 while netted on the turnips, manure the land to the value of 

 £2 ]>er acre. If consumed by cattle on the holding, a little 

 more money is obtained than when eaten by sheep. Generally 



G 



