COUNTIES OF ELGIN AND NAIRN. 21 



this valuable breed having been mated very freely with cows of 

 the Dative race. At first the shorthorn crosses were unpopular, 

 but by the force of merit they soon rose in favour. Polled 

 Aberdeenshire cattle were to be met with in some parishes. 

 Farmers' societies, viz., the Morayshire Farmers' Club and 

 Nairnshire Farmers' Society, have long been in existence in these 

 counties, and unquestionably gave great encouragement to 

 agricultural advancement, especially to the improvement of live 

 stock. Sheep were plentiful among the hills, but not in the low- 

 lands. Blackfaces were the principal breed. Swine were driven 

 about and fattened along with cattle. Artificial manures, in 

 the form of crushed bones, were applied to the land in quantities 

 varying from 15 to 20 bushels per imperial acre when preparing 

 for a crop of turnip. Many people adopted a more economical 

 mode of manuring, by dibbling and putting the bones into small 

 holes before the seed was inserted. It is asserted, that equally 

 as heavy crops of roots were raised by this as if thrice the 

 quantity of manure had been sown broadcast. The land under 

 wheat, barley, oats, and potatoes increased every year very 

 materially up to a few years ago. Lime, as a fertiliser, was 

 liberally used, from 120 to 140 bushels having been given to 

 each acre of light land, and about 200 bushels to the imperial 

 acre of strong soih Generally speaking, the five-shift rotation 

 was pursued on the majority of holdings, while some farmers 

 worked on the six-shift course. Draining was very extensively 

 executed, and in most cases with stones and brushwood. The 

 average rental of land varied from £1, 4s. to £2 per Scotch 

 acre. The best haugh land was rented at from £1, 12s. to £2, 

 8s. per imperial acre. 



The rate of wages for farm servants, who as a rule lived in 

 the farmers' kitchens, was for men, from £9 to £10 per annum, 

 and for women from £4 to £5, exclusive of board. Male 

 labourers engaged by the day got from 9s. to 9s. 6d. per week, 

 and females from ?)S. to 4s. per week. Threshing mills have 

 been used on the larger farms for a number of years. The 

 harrows were made of wood, with iron teeth, and in fact on some 

 holdings these have not been long out of use. As the century 

 advanced, agriculture became more important, and claimed 

 greater attention than it received prior to 1828. In 1842 the 

 area of Moray included 530,600 acres; of these 120,000 were 

 under cultivation, and the remainder under wood, or pasturage, 

 or heath. 



The Pror/rcss of the past T went y- Five Years. 



The area of land reclaimed since 18."»7 lias not been great. 

 This, however, is not assignal)le to any lack of spirit or enter- 

 prise on the part of either landlord or tenants, but to the fact 



