COUNTIES OF ELGIN" AND NAIRN. 27 



ID the present system of farming, which he thinks would be 

 beneficial, and that is freedom of cropping. He grows two- 

 thirds of the turnip break in swedes, and one-third in yellow 

 turnips. Barley is generally the best paying crop, but it will 

 not pay to sow barley crops in rapid succession, because they 

 Boften the soil too much. The extent of this parish is about 

 13,660 acres, and the valuation of it was £7843, 19s. in 1866-67, 

 the increase since then being £8052, 14s. 



In the districts to the east of Elgin, the Earl of Eife is the 

 principal proprietor. His residence is Innes House, in the 

 parish of Urquhart, which nestles beautifully among trees, and 

 is surrounded by fine pleasure grounds. The extent of Lord 

 Fife's property here is 41,759 acres 1 rood 30 poles, of which 

 20,577 acres 1 rood 36 poles are arable, 12,081 acres 1 rood 7 

 poles pasture, 7729 acres 1 rood 24 poles wood, and 1371 acres 

 33 poles consisting of rivers, burns, canals, ditches, peat mosses, 

 hillocks of bent, sea beach, roads, &c. In 1866-67 the valuation 

 w^as £18,383, 12s., and now £19,758, 3s. There is great variety 

 of soil throughout the estate. It consists of rich clay loam, 

 sandy loam, light sandy soil, moorish gravelly soil, and pan. 

 The climate is, as we have previously stated, favourable in the 

 highest degree. Earms range from 20 to 400 acres in extent, 

 and crofts from 2 to 12 acres in size. On most farms, steadings 

 and farm houses are very good, many having been erected 

 withio the past twenty-five years. All of the recently erected 

 houses, except those of a few small crofts, have been built of 

 stones and lime, and are slated. The buildings on these crofts 

 in not a few cases consist of what is called "andinharlie," or, 

 properly speaking, stones, clay, and straw thatch. This sort of 

 buildings lasts for generations when the roofs are kept tight, 

 and are usually very comfortable. 



Servants' cottages have increased greatly since 1850, and 

 especially in recent years. The roads over the estate are good. 

 During the past twenty-five years a considerable breadth of 

 land has been reclaimed by trenching and ploughing ^ith 

 horses and steam. 



The value of the land before reclamation was about Is., and 

 now it is worth from 7s. to 15s. per acre. 



The newly reclaimed land has already yielded profit, and is 

 expected to be still more valuable in the course of a few years. 

 Extensive improvements have been effected in the way of 

 draining, sr|U!iring up farms, and planting, mostly fir and larch, 

 tlie latter being generally used where wooils have been cut 

 down. 



The duration of lease is nineteen years, with entry at "Whitsun- 

 day term, to which wc shall subsequently allude. Tenants get 

 every encouragement possible in executing improvements on 



