COUNTIES OF ELGIN AND XAIRN. 49 



All kinds of crops yield a little above the standard, and more 

 particularly in weight. Land for turnips is ploughed down and 

 prepared in the ordinary way, and from 20 to 2G tons of dung 

 and from 6 to 10 cwts. of artificial manure, chiefly composed 

 of bone meal, superphosphates, with a little Peruvian guano, 

 are allowed per acre. This kind of artificial ingredients is found 

 to stimulate the growth of grass, and give a vigorous start to 

 turnip plants. Mr ]\Iackessack sows about 4 lbs. of Swedish 

 seed per acre, and about 2 lbs. of yellow seed. He has seldom 

 any trouble in getting a good strf)ng braird. To sow Swedish 

 plants thick helps to ward off the " fly," In manuring land 

 for potatoes, Mr Mackessack gives a liberal supply of both 

 farm-yard and artificial manures, and plants potatoes at the rate 

 of from 14 to 18 cwt. per acre. About 10 acres are grown, and 

 if the seed is big a ton is required to plant an acre. He takes 

 a crop of turnips after potatoes. The tenant has drained a 

 considerable extent of land over and over again since 1857. On 

 some parts of Earnside he cannot get drains cut deeper than 18 

 inches, but they are generally about 4 feet deep. About £30 a 

 year is required to keep them in repair. Within the past twenty- 

 five years Mr Mackessack has greatly enhanced the value of his 

 land. He put on clay and sandy matter at the rate of from 60 to 

 300 loads per acre on about 40 acres of moss soil. On some 

 parts he spread it over to the depth of 6 inches. To the superi- 

 ority of Mr Mackessack's black polled herd we shall afterwards 

 advert. Here some reference to his skilful management in his 

 commercial herd may not be out of place. A few years ago Mr 

 Mackessack made a feeding experiment by selecting 24 cattle as 

 nearly one size and age as possible, put 12 of them into one 

 court and 12 of them into another. Besides their every day 

 supply of turnips and straw, he began giving 1 lb. of cake each 

 to those in one fold, and jiiraduallv increased it to 2 lbs. and 

 3 lbs. each per day ; while those in the other fold received 1 lb. 

 of oats and bran with a little chaff mixed, from the same day as 

 those fed on cake, and gradually increased to 2 and 3 lbs. per 

 head. In the month of April Mr Mackessack got some of his 

 neighbouring farmers, who are competent to judge pretty 

 accurately, to give their opinion as to the difference in the 

 valuation of the two lots. The lot which were fed on oats, bran, 

 and chaff was worth more than the other lot, at any rate by £2 

 per head. Mr Mackessack gives all his feeding stock at least 1 

 lb. of cake per day. He has usually about 200 cattle in his 

 possession — that is, lOO on eacli farm. He deals pretty exten- 

 sively in commercial stock, and ho estimates his yearly " turn 

 over " to be from £7000 to £8000 in the cattle trade. East 

 Grange is by far the best farm for feeding purposes, and usually 

 most cattle are fed there. They are generally from 6 to 8 cwt. 



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