42 THE AGRICULTURE OF THE 



clad ruins o£ Pluscarden Abbey, which was founded by Alex- 

 ander II., and belonged to the Cistercian order of monks. It 

 may be said that this parish is nearly all under cultivation. 

 The most extensive proprietor is Lord Fife. The properties of 

 the Earl of Moray, Lord Seafield, and the Hon. James Ogilvie 

 Grant of Mayne, all meet in the parish. Having already 

 indicated pretty fully the customs and general management of 

 farms on the Fife estates, we shall proceed to the western 

 district, whicli is the property of the Earl of Moray, where there 

 are many extensive and skilfully wrought holdings. We will 

 not stop at this stage to describe the Earl of Moray's estate, but 

 will do so when we reach a more central point. Here we are 

 in a beautifully cultivated valley aloug the western side of the 

 river Lossie, and shall explain the courses of husbandry 

 pursued. The fine and carefully managed farm of Linkwood, 

 in the neighbourhood of Elgin, has an area of 486 acres, is 

 rented at £500, and occupied by Mr Eric Sutherland. 



Wester Manbeen is the largest farm in the district, if not 

 indeed in the parish, and is held by Mr James E. Colvin. Its 

 extent is 540 arable acres, and is rented at about 28s. 6d. per acre. 

 This, however, is above the average rental of the district, which 

 runs from 20s. to 25s, per acre. The soil is mostly sandy 

 loam, and being almost on a level with the river Lossie, 

 is inclined to be cold and damp. Though the climate is 

 naturally warm, vegetation is generally a week later than in the 

 neighbouring parish of Alves. The greater part of the farm is 

 worked under a six-course shift, but a part of the best land is 

 laboured in the five-shift rotation. Under the latter system a 

 crop of hay, which yields about 130 stones per acre, is taken, and 

 the grass is depastured the second year. After three-year old 

 grass, which occurs in the six-shift course, about 15 acres of 

 potatoes are raised. The tenant finds it most profitable to grow 

 turnips after potatoes, which saves an amount of labour in 

 cleaning the land. A crop of barley is then taken, which is 

 sovvn along with grass seeds. Wheat yields on an average 4 

 quarters, and weighs 62 lbs. ; barley 4J quartsrs, and weighs 55 

 lbs.; and oats 5 quarters, and weighs 43 lbs. A quantity of tares 

 or vetches is grown every year, and given to cattle and horses 

 in harvest. In the district generally, as well as on this farm, 

 land when dirty is break furrowed as soon as the foregoing crop 

 is secured in the autumn, and is left in this condition during 

 the winter. This keeps weeds near the surface, and therefore 

 facilitates the cleaning of the ground in spring. Mr Colvin 

 approves of sowing his manure broadcast, as it lies nearer the 

 root of the plants than when sown in the drill. A proportion 

 of the farm-yard manure is given to land for wheat in the 

 autumn. About 70 acres of land for turnips receives from 18 



