34 THE AGEICULTUEE OF THE 



tain Dunbar says "he has neither lost nor gained much by the 

 drainage of the loch." Over this property nineteen years lease 

 holds sway. Eents are payable at Candlemas or Lammas. In 

 building steadings the tenants drive stones and provide material. 



About six acres of land near the manse of Drainie is rented 

 at £12, being the best land on the property. Captain Dunbar's 

 best farm contains 255 arable acres, which is let at £450, or 

 about £1, 15s. per acre. Eents have not risen much since 1857, 

 but there is a yearly increase taken from the feu-duties at 

 Branderburgh. The five-course shift is pursued on most farms, 

 but so long as a tenant farms liberally the proprietor would 

 not restrict him to a specific rotation. There are no regular 

 sheep farms on the estate, but about 200 sheep are kept on 

 Coulardbank. Sheep are wintered on several farms, for which 

 the flockmasters pay from 2d. to 3d. per head per week. No 

 wood has been planted since 1855. Captain Dunbar farms from 

 70 to 80 acres himself, for which he keeps one pair of horses. 



The farms of Sunbank and Wester Oakenhead, which are 

 farmed as one, is the third largest holding on the Pitgaveny 

 estate. The extent of arable land is 250 acres and about 100 

 pasture. The rental is £411, 3s. The five-course shift is 

 pursued, and a crop of potatoes is taken after one year's grass, 

 being manured heavily with dung and artificial manure. The 

 nature of the soil and climate is favourable. The yield of 

 grain has been falling off in recent years, which the late Mr 

 Eae attributed to bad seasons and overfeeding of land with 

 artificial manure. In preparing and manuring land for turnips 

 and potatoes, court manure is distributed as far as possible, and 

 then artificial stimulants are applied. Great improvements 

 have taken place since 1857 in the way of draining and fencing, 

 mostly done by the late tenant. 



The second largest farm on Captain Dunbar's property 

 is Kinneddar, tenanted by Mr Adam. It is about 500 

 acres in extent, and is all arable. The total rental is £450. 

 The prevailing soil on the farm is a lightish black loam of a 

 porous nature, and resting on a gravelly subsoil. Mr Adam 

 works about 230 acres on the seven-course system, viz., two 

 grasses, and oats, potatoes, barley, turnips, and barley again. 

 The remainder is worked under the five-course shift, viz., two 

 grasses, oats or sometimes potatoes, turnips, and barley. The 

 average yield of the various crops is about 4 quarters barley, 5 

 quarters oats, 6 tons potatoes, and from 16 to 20 tons of turnips 

 per acre. Land for the root crop is tilled in the ordinary way, 

 and about 20 loads of dung and 4 cwts. of bone meal given per 

 acre. Potatoes are manured the same as turnips, but the dung 

 is ploughed down in the autumn, and artificial stimulants 

 applied when the potatoes are being planted. Being near 



