COUNTIES OF ELGIN AND NAIRN. 45 



The farm of Shogle extends to 158 acres arable and 40 

 pasture, is rented at £121, 7s., and is situated near tlie centre of 

 the parish of Birnie. The soil on this farm and the surrounding 

 districts varies from good sharp soil to cold damp land, in some 

 cases much in want of draining. The average rental per acre is 

 about 16s. Under tlie five-shift rotation, which is prevalent in 

 the district, oats yield from 4 to 6 quarters per acre, weighing 

 from 41 to 43 lbs. per bushel ; barley 5 to 6 quarters, weighing 

 from 53 to 56 lbs.; rye from 3 to 4 quarters, weighing from 58 to 

 60 lbs.; turnips from 15 to 20 tons per acre, and potatoes from 4 

 to 5 tons. About 20 loads of dung with 3 cwt. bone dust, 3 

 cwt. superphosphates, and IJ cwt. " challenge " manure, is the 

 customary allowance in the shape of manure for turnips. For 

 potatoes, the dung is ploughed down in autumn, and from 4 to 5 

 cwt. of potato manure is added when planting. The proprietor 

 built a nice commodious steading, and the tenant — Mr Cruick- 

 shank — reclaimed about 10 acres of land during the past twenty- 

 five years. 



A little further inland is the farm of Blairnhall, which 

 contains 117 acres arable and 100 acres pasture, and is tenanted 

 by Mr Grant, a very careful farmer. The soil is dry, and would 

 not pay the labour if wrought in the five course-shift. Some- 

 times Mr Grant leaves it in grass for three, four, and five years, 

 then takes a crop of turnips off the w^orst land, which is 

 succeeded by a crop of barley or rye sown with grass seeds. In 

 medium soil Mr Grant ploughs early, grubs well in spring before 

 sowing, which he usually begins about the 1st of May, taking a 

 crop of barley, then turnips, which is followed by barley again 

 sown with grass seeds. His system on the good land is some- 

 what different. He takes first a crop of oats, then barley, giving 

 about 3 cwt. manure per acre, which is followed by turnips, and 

 with another crop of barley runs it into grass. Oats yield from 

 3J to 5 quarters per acre, weighing from 42 to 45 lbs. per bushel ; 

 barley from 4 to 5 quarters, weigliing from 54 to 58 lbs. per 

 bushel. Mr Grant gives about 20 loads of dung per acre to land 

 for turnips, along with a mixture of crusli'ed bones, bone dust, 

 and superphosphate, to the amount of 6 cwt. For potatoes he 

 gives dung and about 4 cwt. potato manure per acre. He 

 kee])S a Hock of Cheviot ewes and a Leicester tup. 



In resuming our tour westward, we enter the parish of Alve?, 

 which is one of the most notable in the county for its agricul- 

 tural industry. There are several landed ^jroprietors in this 

 parish, but the most extensive are the Earl of Moray and Lord 

 Fife. The extent of Alves is 9424-686 acres, and in 1866-()7 

 rented £7811, 13.s., and in 1882-83, £9084, 18s. It is for a 

 considerable distance washed by the sea on the north side, and 

 the nature of the soil is a free deep productive loam, intersected 



