COUNTIES OF ELGIN i\ND NAIRN. 83 



cottage accommodation married men would generally be preferred. 

 The assistance that can be obtained from their wives and 

 families in outdoor labour and barn work, gives them a 

 preference, especially in districts where it is very difficult 

 to get day labourers in spring, and during turnip hoeing and 

 harvest. 



Near the village of Cawdor, and on the borders of Inverness- 

 shire, is the compact farm of p]udgate, occupied by Mr Joss. 

 The soil is light and gravelly, but the climate dry and favour- 

 able. The five-course shift is pursued. Crops yield well in 

 moist seasons, but are frequently reduced from want of rain. 

 Turnip land gets a liberal supply of both farm-yard and artificial 

 manure, the latter consisting for most part of dissolved bones 

 and phosphates. Cattle, when feeding, in addition to turnips 

 and straw, get a limited quantity of cake and grain. Horses 

 work at the rate of GO acres a pair. The rent has increased 

 much on Mr Joss's holding since 1855, and, considering the 

 present time, it is too high. There is more attention devoted to 

 the breeding and feeding of stock now than twenty-five years 

 ago, but there have been no other noteworthy changes in the 

 system of farming since then. 



Tlie AgricvMural Degression in Moray and Nairn. 



The agricultural depression, which has proved so disastrous 

 in many parts of the country since 1872, has not been so 

 seriously felt in the lower divisions of these counties as in the 

 upper districts, south of the Spey, or in England. Moray and 

 Nairn have lost money — in 1877, in 1879, and again, to some 

 extent, in 1881 — but the shortcomings in this respect have been 

 light, especially over the lower half of the counties, compared 

 with the farming iinancial deficiencies in the south. It would 

 be too much to assume that there are many tenant farmers in 

 Moray and Nairn who are in as good a position, financially, in 

 1882 as they were in 187G, but a considerable number have not 

 lost more than perhaps a year's rental ; whereas, in the southern 

 and central districts of Scotland, the losses since 1872 have been 

 nearer three than two years' rents. Of course, on heavy clay 

 soils, which ha])pily are not exceedingly extensive in Moray, and 

 are nowhere to be met with in Nairnshire, there has been a much 

 heavier drain of farmers' means than is indicated above. On 

 very stiflly rented farms, as well as on bailly drained, indifter- 

 ently managed farms, more especially where working capital 

 has been inade([uate, there have also been rather heavy losses 

 in recent years. 



