96 THE AGRICULTUEE OF THE 



rye, beans, and pease. There were 356 acres under rye in 1857, 

 and last year there were only 260 acres, which shows a decrease 

 of 96 acres during these years. Of beans there w^ere 9 acres in 

 1857, and 4 acres in 1881. There were 138 acres of pease in 

 1857, and 16 in 1881, showing a large decrease of 122 acres. 



Hay, Grass, and Permanent Pasture. 



The extent of hay and grass under rotation at various periods 

 since 1857 is as follows: — 



Moray. Nairn. 



Year. Acres. Acres. 



1857, . . . 28,560 10,810 



1870, . . . 34,041 8,098 



1876, . . . 38,667 9,973 



1881, . . . 38,670 ■ 10,057 



Increase since 1857, . 10,110 Decrease since 1857, 753 

 „ 1870, . 4,629 Increase since 1870, 1,959 



„ 1876, . 3 „ 1876, 84 



The above table indicates a very noticeable increase in the 

 area under grass since 1857 in Moray, while there has been a 

 considerable decline in the number of acres under grass in 

 Nairnshire. The increase in Morayshire is in a great measure, 

 if not wholly, accounted for by the fact, that a large extent of 

 land, formerly worked on the five-shift course with two years' 

 grass, is now being farmed in six shifts with three years' grass. 

 This change, as already indicated, has been brought about mainly 

 by the greater liability of turnips in the five-shift course to 

 suffer from finger-and-toe than those grown in the sixth-shift 

 rotation. A heavier crop of roots is, as a rule, obtained in the 

 six than in the five-course system. The five-course shift pre- 

 vailing over Nfdrnshire accounts for the decrease of 753 acres 

 since 1857. The six-shift was more common some thirty years 

 ago than at preseat. The yield of hay is very irregular, and 

 more particularly on lic^ht land. A deficiency of clover is 

 frequently experienced after a very dry season. In 1880, for 

 instance, on account of the dry scorching nature of the weather 

 in the middle of summer, the return of hay varied from 10 to 

 to 30 cwt. per acre. This applies to both counties. The 

 parishes of Duffus, Urainie, and Alves are the best hay-pro- 

 ducing districts. In the former as much as 250 stones (22 lbs. 

 per stone) per acre are grown in good seasons. The average 

 quantity of hay returned per acre in Morayshire, in ordinary 

 years, according to the calculations of a few judicious valuators, 

 is about 145 stones. The average value of hay is, as nearly 

 as possible, Is. per stone, or £7, 5s. per acre. The quantity 

 of rye-grass seed allowed to each acre runs from 14 lbs. to 22 



