20 THE AGRICULTUEE OF THE 



better class of farmers had ploughs of the newest design, which 

 were neatly made, and cost about 2 guineas. Carts were of the 

 most approved construction, costing from £8 to £10 each, and 

 were generally drawn by one horse, but in exceptional cases by 

 two. The " flail " was used on every holding, as threshing mills 

 were not then plentiful. 



About the middle of last century, the average price of grain 

 was something like 12s- per boll, and the yearly wages of 

 ploughmen ranged from £2 to £3. The most lucrative 

 branches of farming were the raising of corn and the rearing of 

 cattle. For the latter, how^ever, there was little outlet wdien 

 they were fattened. Swine were seldom reared by the farmer, 

 although pork was greatly in demand in this part of the country. 



Among the inhabitants of these counties, during the greater 

 part of the eighteenth century, kail, nettle, and mugwort were 

 favourite dishes when stirred up amongst oatmeal soup. Oat- 

 meal, bran, and sowans, when slightly fermented together, formed 

 a regular article of food in the north of Scotland. The tradi- 

 tional Christmas luxury was sour cakes with aromatic seeds, 

 which it was considered formed one of the most palatable and 

 delicate repasts that could be got. 



Up to the first of the present century, pasturage was more 

 extensively pursued than tillage. Shortly after the advent of 

 the nineteenth century, however, a much more enterprising 

 system of farming was adopted, and the agriculture ' of these 

 counties was rapidly brought into a state which compared 

 favourably wdth that of the Lothians. It is but just to say that 

 Moray and Nairn, in so far as the cultivation of the soil is 

 concerned, have been keeping pace with, if not surpassing, the 

 improvement in the most active of the other parts of Scotland. 

 Sixty years ago the soil received more attention than the breed- 

 ing and rearing of live stock. The cattle then reared in this 

 part of the country were of an inferior description, but the 

 horses in possession of the better class of north country farmers 

 w^ere equalled by few even in the south of Scotland. They 

 were strong horses, of good blood and superior action. The 

 common breed of cattle was black, with long horns and of great- 

 variety of size. One of the most successful of the present race 

 of farmers in Morayshire informs us that, some fifty or sixty 

 years ago, the ordinary commercial cattle when rising three years 

 of age, sold at from £3, 10s. to £4, 10s., and on one occasion three 

 or four fat animals brought about £12 each, which was con- 

 sidered a very remarkable price. The same animals would now 

 bring at least £27 each. 



After 1830, much attention was given to the breeding and 

 rearing of cattle, and te\Y counties have achieved greater success 

 in this direction. Shorthorns were early introduced, bulls of 



