COUNTIES OF ELGIN AND NAIRN. 35 



LossiemoLith, where extensive fisheries are carried on, Mr Adam 

 gives his land intended fur turnips a liberal top-dressing with fish 

 garbage, which is ploughed down in autumn, and not put into 

 drills as is usually the case. The whole of the farm steading, 

 which was destroyed by fire fully a year ago, has been rebuilt 

 — the propirietor allowing about half the cost, and valuation for 

 the other half at the end of the lease. Mr Adam drained the 

 greater projjortion of his farm since 1855. The proprietor 

 afforded pipes for three large open ditches, which hav^e been 

 filled in, and about 30 acres have been reclaimed, for which 

 the tenant gets nothing. The tenant has also erected a steam 

 threshing mill, for which he gets valuation at expiry of lease. 

 The farm stock of cattle consists of crosses and shorthorns, of 

 which about 20 are annually bred and about 40 fed. The 

 feeding stock are tied up in October, and sold off about April or 

 May. Turnips and straw constitute the staple article of food, 

 and about the 1st of February from 2 to 3 lbs. of linseed 

 cake or bruised oats and rye are allowed each animal per day. 

 The average weight when fat is about 6^ cwt. As long as 

 good Irish calves can be got from £5 to £6 when about six 

 months old, Mr Adam thinks it more profitable to buy in than 

 to breed cattle. He keeps a number of cows, and supplies 

 the inhabitants of Lossiemouth and Branderburgh with milk. 

 About 300 half-bred lambs are bought in in August, and kept 

 on grass and stubble fields till December, when they are netted 

 on turnips, and get ^ lb. of linseed cake or corn from the 1st of 

 March down to the Ist of May, when they are sold off. Mr 

 Adam has a good deal of the Clydesdale blood in his stud, and 

 the horses are strong, heavy, and well adapted for to work 

 at the rate of 80 acres per pair. Married servant men are most 

 plentiful where cottages can be got, but these are far too few. 

 Wages have advanced about 30 per cent, since 1857. Two- 

 thirds of the shift are devoted to the growth of swedes and 

 one-third to yellow turnips. On one-fifth of the land under 

 the five-shift system Mr Adam grows oats and one-fifth barley, 

 and in the seven-course shift he grows one-seventh oats and 

 two-sevenths barley. He does not grow wheat, but cultivates a 

 little rye occasionally. 



Another large and similarly conducted farm is Muirtown, 

 tenanted by Mr John Calder. It is all arable, extends to 270 

 acres, and is rented at £331. The whole of the farm is wrought 

 under the five-course shift. The average yield of barley is 

 about 5 quarters per acre, weighing fruni 56 to 58 lbs. per 

 bushel, and oats G quarters per acre, weighing from 42 to 44 lbs. 

 per bushel. Wheat, which is not extensively grown on this 

 farm, weighs from G3 to 04 lbs. per bushel The soil is mostly 

 of a sandy nature, and well adapted for the cultivation of roots, 



