G8 THE AGRICULTURE OF THE 



now it is £2685, 2s. lOd. The land under cultivation is 

 generally good loam resting on gravelly subsoil. The size of 

 farms varies from 20 to 200 acres arable. A great many of the 

 tenants have, in addition to arable ground, grazing privileges on 

 common hill. The farm houses are principally slated stone 

 buildings, and many new ones have been erected since 1857. A 

 large extent of wire fencing has been constructed during the past 

 twenty-tive years. Eoads over the estate are very good and 

 well kept. About 200 acres of land hav^e been reclaimed, 

 within the past twenty- five years and are now good arable 

 ground. It was trenched chiefly with the spade 14 inches deep. 

 Before reclamation, the ground was rough pasture, full of 

 boulders, worth about 3s. 6d. per acre, and is now worth from 

 20s. to 25s. The total cost of reclamation, including- drainaije 

 and trenching, amounted to from £20 to £25 per acre, — pros- 

 pects of remuneration about 5 per cent. The land reclaimed 

 on the lower lying grounds has been profitable to the landlord, 

 but not on the poorer soil on the hill sides. The duration ,of 

 lease is nineteen years, the tenant entering at Whitsunday to 

 houses, old pasture, sown grasses, and break for green crop, and 

 at the cutting of the crop to the land under grain crops. Many 

 tenants take over from outgoing tenants, at valuation made by 

 mutually chosen arbiters, first year's grass, grain crops, and 

 thrashing mill, &c. When the proprietor advances money not 

 specially stipulated for in the lease for improvements, the tenant 

 pays 6 per cent, for drainage and 5 per cent, for building. In 

 cases of building, the proprietor usually provides wood and slates 

 free of cost, and the tenants pay all the other expenses, without 

 having any claim for meliorations. Generally speaking, most 

 of the buildings are erected by the landlord at the commence- 

 ment of new leases, without interest, the tenants performing the 

 carriage of all material free. The average rental per acre on the 

 estate is 20s. and the extieme 30s. Eents are paid at Martinmas 

 and Whitsunday. Servants on this property are partly married 

 and single, and the best servants belong to the former class, as 

 they remain in their respective places for a number of years, 

 when well supplied with good cottage accommodation. The 

 estate is fairly well provided with cottages. The system of 

 rotation is arranged according to the estate regulations. 



The cattle on the Ballindalloch estates are generally either 

 pure bred Aberdeenshire cattle, or a cross breed from black 

 polled bulls and shorthorn or cross cows, and are all reared on 

 the farms. Sir George Macpherson Grant is the owner of 

 perhaps the finest polled herd in the kingdom, and to it we shall 

 hereafter refer. There are no sheep farms on the Morayshire 

 property. There are a few crofters on the estate, who mostly 

 work as tradesmen and farm labourers, and who generally hold 



