Improvement of Waste Land in Siitherlandshire 



363 



railed oft" in the Castle park, and we saw it 

 again on the 9th of September ; and certainly 

 the contrast between the enclosure and the 

 grass around it, some of which we were told 

 had also been manured, was very striking. 

 On Tuesday sheep were put on in the pro- 

 portion of 25 to the acre, and it is expected 

 that they will soon be in prime condition. 

 This system of watering has been also intro- 

 duced on the garden terrace, and on Saturday 

 the rain showers were shewn to the Queen, 

 who was much gratified by seeing the inven- 

 tion at work and so successful. With mutton 

 at I id. a pound in the villages, it is not sur- 

 prising that the improvments in sheep farming 

 in the county of Sutherland are watched with 

 the deepest interest. 



On the same subject Mr James Howard, 

 M.P. says : — 



The account published in llic Times of the Duke of 

 Sutherland's operations in reclaiming waste lands in 

 Sutherland has, doubtless, been read with interest by 

 many other proprietors. 



I would direct attention to another " suggestive and 

 instructive fact " of the kind nearer home. Near to 

 Thirsk, in Yorkshire, about 700 feet above sea level, 

 is a moor of some 30,000 acres in extent. A portion 

 of this moor belongs to Major Stapylton, who some 

 four years ago determined if it could be made to pay 

 a fair interest on the necessary outlay, to reclaim his 

 portion of this rough, wild region. The first plot 

 experimented on was 20 acres in extent. After the 

 burning of the heath, the land was broken up by horse 

 power and fallowed. Rape was then sown, a variety 

 of artificial manures being applied, and a portion, as 

 an experiment, was dressed with lime. It was dis- 

 covered that lime not only acted as a sweetener of the 

 soil, but had the effect of setting the artificial manures 

 in action ; for on the unlimed portions the manures 

 appeared to remain dormant. Such were the fertiliz- 

 ing effects produced, that the rape by its growth 

 showed to a foot how far the sowing of the lime had 

 reached. 



Encouraged by the success of his first experiment. 

 Major Stapylton determined to bring 300 acres more 

 into cultivation. Having, however, found it difficult 

 and expensive by horse power to thoroughly break 

 through the impervious pan, lying some six or eight 

 inches below the surface, a powerful steam cultivator 

 was obtained, by the aid of which the soil was broken 

 up and well pulverized to the depth of 14 inches. 

 Mr R. E. Brown, who has superintended the work, 

 has kept an accurate account of the cost of these opera- 

 tions and the results. 



The operations on the wild heath began as follows : 



— The heath was burnt down at 6d. an acre, then 

 twice steam cultivated, each time crossing the other, 

 at a cost of 15s. per acre ; then it was left a few weeks 

 to the action of the weather. 



Brought forward ^o 15 6 



Then well-steam harrowed thrice, at per acre 076 

 Burning tussacs and roots, &c., and spread- 

 ing ashes o 7 6 



Two cultivatings crossing each other, 14 



inches deep i o o 



4 tons of lime, carted and spread, at 8s. 3d. i 13 o 

 2 cwt. of phospho-guano, ati2s. =24s. ) i 18 o 



2 cwt. of dissolved bones, at 7s. = 14s. ) 



3 lb. of rapeseed is. 6d., arilling manure 



and seed, is. 6d. o 3 o 



Rolling, 6d. ; horse-hoeing, is. 6d o 2 o 



Weeding 010 



L(^ 7 6 

 Good half crop of rape kept 120 sheep one 



week, at 6d. each 3 ° ° 



Outlay left not repaid /3 7 ^ 



Two ridgings 27 inches wide, and subsoiling 



14 inches deep in bottom i o o 



2 cwt. Peruvian guano and 2 cwt. dissolved 



bones as before 118 o 



Turnip seed, 2s. ; drilling manure and seed, 



IS. 6d 036 



Horse-hoeing, is. 6d. ; hand-hoeing, 5s. o 6 6 



One year's interest on this at 5 per cent. .069 



723 

 Turnip crop, worth at least 3 ^ ° 



Outlay left not repaid . . • • 4 ^ 3 

 Once ploughed with double furrow plough 



and two horses 060 



3 bushels of oats, at 28s. per qr. . . . o 10 6 

 Drilling, is. 6d. ; harrowing, is. 6d. ; 



rolling, IS 040 



Weeding, gd. ; harvesting and thrashing, 



20s 109 



6 3 6 

 Interest on this at 5 per cent 062 



Total expenses taken down ... 6 9 8 



5 qrs. of oats, at 28s 700 



30 cwt. of straw, at 2s 3 ° ° 



10 o 8 

 Expenses brought down 690 



Profit for the four years 3104 



