40 THE AGRICULTURE OF THE 



siuce 1857, and a pair works at the rate of 80 acres. The farm 

 servants are mostly single, and get from £20 to £25 yearly, 

 with the usual allowances. Wages have risen fully 25 per 

 cent, during the past twenty years. There is sufficient cottai^e 

 accommodation at Surradale, but not at Thornhill. Kents have 

 advanced 30 to 35 per cent, since 1857, and are at present 

 too high. 



The parish of Spynie stretches almost due east and west 

 between the parishes of Drainie, Duffus, and Elgin, and has an 

 area of 5971*512 acres. About a mile from the east end of the 

 parish it is intersected by a high ridge of moor, covered with fir 

 wood on the north side, and a flourishing oak wood on the south. 

 On either side of this ridge, as in the eastern half of the parish, 

 there is a deal of fine soil, varying from the richest loam and 

 clay to the most sterile sand. The value and general con- 

 figuration of the parish have been very much improved since 

 1850. There has been no noteworthy change in the system of 

 farming, but the soil has been greatly enriched by skilful 

 management. The principal landed proprietor in this parish is 

 Lord Fife, and generally the five-course shift is the system of 

 rotation adopted. The farm of Myreside is one of the largest 

 and best managed farms in the parish, and our notes with 

 reference to it will suffice for giving an indication of the 

 system pursued on the north-east side of the parish of Elgin, 

 as well as for the parish of Spynie. Mr Kussell, the tenant, 

 is one of the most successful farmers in Morayshire. His 

 knowledge of the chemistry of agriculture affords him a special 

 prerogative in his profension, which, unfortunately, few agri- 

 culturists can boast of. In nourisliing exhausted land he has 

 been very successful, and his farm is now raised to a high state 

 of fertility. Its total extent is 360 acres, of which 5 acres are 

 rough pasture. The average rental of the district is from 25s. 

 to 26s. per acre. The soil on this farm ranges from almost 

 pure sand to good loam. The climate is dry and warm. Mr 

 Kussell farms under the five-shift rotation, viz., two years grass, 

 white crop, turnips and barley sown out with grass seed ; 

 potatoes are substituted for part of the turnip break, or part of 

 the white crop after lea, according to the soil. Irrespective of 

 exceptional years, the average yield of crops on Myreside is, 

 barley 5 quarters per acre, weighing about C)6 lbs. per bushel ; 

 oats from 4 to 5 quarters, weighing about 43 lbs. per bushel ; 

 and rye from 3 to 3| quarters per acre, weighing about 60 lbs. 

 per bushek The return of barley in 1881 did not exceed 3 

 quarters per acre, and was exceptionally light. Mr Eussell has 

 not grown wheat for four or five years, the average yield having 

 fallen to 3 quarters on the best land on the farm. Turnips 

 (yellow) yield about 15 tons, and swedes about 18 tons per 



