46 THE AGEICULTUEE OF THE 



by pendicles of moss and sand. The farm of Inchstelly, 

 tenanted by Mr Leitch, gives strong evidence of the skilful way 

 in which farming is carried on in the parish. Inchstelly con- 

 tains 270 arable acres, and is rented at about 35s. per acre. The 

 soil consists of sandy loam, and the climate is favourable. The 

 five and six course shifts are pursued. Barley is the most pro- 

 fitable cereal, and yields on an average from 4 to 5 quarters per 

 acre, weighing about 56 lbs., and oats from about 6 quarters, 

 weighing about 42 lbs. Not much wheat is grow^n, but the 

 average weight of it is about 62 lbs. Mr Leitch ploughs land 

 for turnips deep in autumn, and lets it lie in this state till spring, 

 vv^hen he cross ploughs, harrows, and grubs it, and harrows it 

 again before sowing. Mr Leitch gives the land about 10 cwt. 

 of bone dust and phosphates per acre, but no farm-yard manure, 

 which is put on the ground after the turnips are lifted, for the 

 following crop of barley. He has always a good crop of turnips. 

 Potatoes are grown in quantities sufficient to meet home require- 

 ments, and they are manured in the same way as turnips, except 

 that they are allowed a little farm-yard manure. The tenant 

 has trenched and reclaimed some 30 acres of hill land, and carted 

 away thousands of loads of stones from it. He breeds all his 

 feeding stock of cattle except a very few. They are tied up in 

 early autumn when from 18 to 20 months old, and if worth £18 

 a head, then he has no difficulty in adding at the rate of £1 a 

 head per month to their value until they are properly fed. 

 They get tares to begin with, when they are newly put in 

 for feeding, then early turnips and straw, with 1 lb. cake each 

 and a little meal. Heifers weigh from 5 to 6 cwt., and stots 

 from 6 to 7^ cwt. w^hen kept to Whitsunday. Mr Leitch 

 thinks farmers should breed more cattle than they do. Each 

 cow fosters two calves. His horses are strong useful animals, 

 about the best in the county, and were bred by himself. He has 

 always a few entire horses, from which he is careful to select the 

 best animals for breeding purposes. Horses have improved 

 greatly during the past twenty-five years, but there is still need 

 for improvement. From 80 to 90 acres are allotted to a pair. 

 Wages have advanced nearly a half since 1855. Cottages are 

 abundant on the Earl of Moray's estate. The rental of this 

 farm has risen £95 since 1850. The general rise throughout 

 the parish would run from 15 to 20 per cent. Mr Leitch grows 

 about 53 acres of turnips, of which two-thirds are Swedish and 

 the rest yellow and early turnips ; about 53 acres of barley, 53 

 acres of oats, from 8 to 10 acres of tares, and from 10 to 15 acres 

 of hay occasionally, which yields from 120 to 150 stones (22 

 lbs. per stone) per acre. 



The estate of Ardgye, the property of Mr Kobert Mackessack, 

 covers about 4000 acres, of which about 3000 are arable, 400 



