92 



THE AGRICULTURE OF THE 



is not SO favourable for the ripening of crops, it is generally from 

 a week to ten days later. There is no time of the year that the 

 farmers' duties are more arduous than during the harvest season. 

 The crop is usually cut down with all possible speed, especially 

 in the upper and more exposed districts, in order to prevent it 

 from being shaken by the wind. When the harvest is attended 

 with suitable weather, the crops on many farms are reaped and 

 carted to the stackyard in less than a month. There is always a 

 great demand for harvest hands, who, in some parts, are difficult 

 to obtain. Tliey generally get from 3s. to 4s. 6d. per day. The 

 usual cost of harvestinc^ is calculated to run from 16s. to 21s. 

 per acre. The subjoined are the fiars prices struck at Elgin and 

 Xairn in different years since 1831 : — 



Wheat per imperial qr. 



Barley 



Oats ,, „ 



Barley with fodder, 



Oats 



Oatmeal per cwt., 



2 9 5 



1 12 11 

 14 2 



2 4 

 2 

 14 



2 10 

 1 11 

 1 2 

 1 17 

 1 10 

 13 



13 11 



16 

 5 



9 



13 11 



15 8 



The following is a table of the total area under wheat at 

 different periods sines 1857 : — 



As may be inferred from the great decrease in both counties 

 during the past tw^enty-five years, the wheat crop is not so re- 

 munerative as it formerly was. These figures show that the 

 cicreasji under wheat in Nairnshire has been growing smaller by 



