36 THE AGEICULTUEE OF THE 



especially potatoes. In cleaning the laud for the root crop, 

 Mr Calder " break furrows " twice as early in the autumn as 

 possible, after which it receives a thorough grubbing and 

 harrowing. At the time of sowing turnips, from 20 to 22 loads 

 of dung, along with from 5 to 6 cwt. of artificial manure, is 

 given per acre. The potatoes, which are grown generally 

 after lea, get from 7 to 8 cwt. of artificial manure. The 

 houses on this farm are all in good repair. Mr Calder breeds a 

 few calves every year, but only keeps cows sufficient to supply 

 milk for the farm. He feeds from 40 to 50 cattle every winter 

 on cut turnips and straw, and sells them in February and 

 March, when they as a rule weigh from 5 to 7 cwt. He also 

 feeds a few sheep every year, and kills them in the months of 

 March and April. They are fed on turnips and straw. As 

 regards horses, there are few farms in the county on which a 

 better stock can be seen. Mr Calder is a careful breeder, and 

 an excellent judge. His horses work from 70 to 80 acres a 

 pair. Wages are about the same now as those current in 1860, 

 but they were considerably higher a few years ago. From 54 

 to 55 acres are sown with turnips, one half swedes and the 

 other half yellow ; about 55 acres barley, and 45 acres oats. 

 Barley is the most renumerative crop. 



Perhaps on no other lidding in the parish of Drainie has 

 the condition and value of land been more enhanced than on 

 the farm of Ardivot during the past twelve years. Since the 

 present tenant, Mr (jeorge Tod, entered the farm some eleven 

 years ago, he has increased its value considerably over £100. 

 Besides this, Mr Tod has since erected over 15 miles of fencing, 

 and built a farm steading and cottages to the amount of £1400. 

 The same number of acres on the farm return double the 

 quantity of grain and roots yielded prior to 1870. Mr Tod 

 says, " to get land kept up to a high state of cultivation, is a 

 matter of no little importance, and can only be done by com- 

 pensation, and rooting out those tenants who abuse land, and 

 they are not few. It will not pay any farmer to reduce his 

 land too much, and in order to avoid this let phosphates be 

 applied instead of bones." Mr Tod has reclaimed about 130 

 acres of the Loch of Spynie, which he partially drained, the 

 proprietor suppl}'ing the tiles. It was formerly worth about 

 5s. per acre, and now it has risen to 25s. or 30s. per acre. He 

 also drained nearly every field on the farm, and filled up a big 

 ditch some 130 chains in length, the proprietor supplying the tiles. 

 The farm is stocked with very superior cattle and horses, and Mr 

 Tod never fails to adopt the proper means for their improvement. 



We now find ourselves in the parish of Duffus, which is 

 extremely level and low-lying. Its total area is 9865*270 

 acres; in 1866-67 its valuation was £12,005, 12s., and in 



