COUNTY OF STIRLING. 161 



hedges along the roadsides, and marches between farms, which 

 often consist of a deep ditch. Xo fences are required, as there 

 is no pasture. Such fences as exist on the arable land in the 

 north and north-west are hedges only; in the east, south, and 

 south-west, hedges, stone dykes, and wood, and wire. Hill 

 grazings are fenced to a considerable extent, and most of the 

 fences recently erected are of wood and wire, but in some cases 

 stone with two wires on the top. The best kept fences in the 

 county are believed to be on the estate of Mr Blackburn, Kil- 

 learn. Mr Orr Ewing has done a great deal of fencing at 

 Ballikinrain. On the roadsides the fences are stone walls, sub- 

 stantially built, with a coping of hewn stone embedded in lime. 

 On the estates of the Duke of Montrose there are hedges, the 

 gaps being made up with paling. The tenants are bound to 

 maintain the fences on their farms, but they are allowed wood 

 with which to repair them. Fences near Buchanan Castle and 

 on the home farm are good and well kept. 



Tillage operations are difficult to manage on the carse. The 

 soil gets very easily wetted, when operations must cease, and if 

 it dries too rapidly it is difficult to get a braird. The drains put 

 in many years ago are beginning to lose their efficacy, and a 

 great deal would require to be re-drained. This partly accounts 

 for the poor production in recent seasons. After a wet spring it 

 is not easy to get the crops sown in time ; and much labour is 

 required in breaking clods, which is done with zigzag iron 

 harrows, and rollers of various makes. The usual rotation in 

 the carse is the six-shift, in about equal divisions, consisting of 

 (1) green crop or fallow, (2) wheat, (3) beans, (4) barley, with 

 which grass seeds are sown, (5) hay, and (6) oats. In some 

 cases there is a seventh, called maslin, consisting of oats and 

 beans mixed, and this is highly approved by some good farmers. 

 This crop is seen occasionally on the dryfield soil, but much 

 more frequently on the carse. A modification of this plan is 

 sometimes adopted. Mr Alexander Simpson, who farms West* 

 mains, contiguous to the grounds of Kerse House, at a rent of 

 £2, 10s. per Scotch acre, has for green crop turnips, potatoes 

 sullicient for the requirements of the farm, and tares to be cut 

 green for summer use, but on the remainder he has beans instead 

 of fallow. Abundance of manure is obtainable from Falkirk, 

 Grangemouth, and even from Glasgow by the canal. The best 

 stable dung from Glasgow is delivered at 7s. a ton. With a 

 qu;intity of this dung applied in the autumn, Mr Simpson finds 

 that a good crop of beans can be reaped from land which would 

 otherwise be unprofitable, and tlie manure is sullicient to insure 

 that a good crop of wheat will follow. It is considered im- 

 portant that the manure be ajtplied in autumn. About half the 

 quantity will suffice, and it permits that the beans be sown in 



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