COUNTIES OF ELGIN AND NAIRN. 77 



per acre, and weigh a little over the standard measure. Turnips 

 and potatoes grow well. Land tor the green crop gets from 20 

 to 25 loads of dung and 6 cwt. artificial manure per acre. 

 Cross cattle are bred and fattened on the farm. They are fed 

 ou turnips, straw, and cake, and are sold at the weight of from 

 5 to 6 cwt. Tlie horses on the farm are good, and work from 

 60 to 70 acres a pair. Mr Anderson pays from £10 to £13 for 

 men, and £5 to £6 for women and boys, exclusive of board. 

 Mr Anderson thinks farmers should have liberty in cropping. 



As we proceed westwards the scenery becomes more varied 

 and beautiful, and the systems of farming more various and 

 interesting. The parish of Nairn contains soil varying from 

 heavy mould to light sand. The valuation of the parish in 

 186(3-67 was £5939, 13s. 5d., and is now £7190, 14s. Id. The 

 principal objects of interest are the remains of Castle Finlay, of 

 Eait Castle, and of the old chapel where the Kilravock family 

 are buried. The Cawdor estates, which make a total area of 

 46,176 imperial acres, go more extensively into the parishes of 

 Nairn and Cawdor than any other property in the county. Of 

 the total area 5776 acres are under wood, 2920 acres arable 

 ground, and 37,480 of moorland and hill pasture. The total 

 rental in 1855 was £6070, and in 1881, £7930. The land over 

 tlie estate is chiefly light loam, resting on gravelly subsoil. The 

 number of farms on the property is 154, of which 27 holdings 

 are rented above £100 and 127 under £100. Houses are gene- 

 rally substantial and in good order. Many of them have been 

 built since last letting of farms, the tenants carting materials 

 and the proprietor paying the cost of building. Since 1849, 

 when new leases were entered upon, a considerable extent of 

 waste land has been reclaimed by the tenants, when, in many 

 cases, large quantities of stones were turned up, which the 

 tenants carted to the lines of dykes laid out by the land sur- 

 veyor, and built by the landlord. Previous to 1849, the whole 

 estate was gone over by a surveyor, and the new marches of 

 the farms were squared up. The tenants seem satisfied with 

 the result of their reclamations, and when leases exjnre a rise of 

 rent is generally obtained. IJents are payable half-yearly, at 

 .Martinmas and Whitsunday, after reaping the crop. There are 

 some married servants on the larger farms, but very few on the 

 smaller ones. A good many cottages for married servants and 

 liibuurers have been erected during the last twenty-five years. 



The farm of Easter Delnies, in the ])arish of Nairn, is tenanted 

 by Mr John Davidson, and has a total acreage of 690 acres, of 

 which 240 acres are arable, 120 acres coarse ])asture, and 350 

 acres under wood. The rental is £170. The soil on the farm is 

 mostly light and santly, and is interse(3ted by pendicles of good 

 loam. 'JMiL* live-course shift is ]»ursued. Barley returns about 



