240 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



with this division of the land. The first are, the leas 

 length of the cartage between the fields and the stead- 

 ings — the moderate size of the fields, averaging 18 acres 

 each — and some emulation between the resident servants at 

 each. The disadvantages consist chiefly in the dislocation 

 of work, by the ordinary carrying on of it by two small par- 

 ties instead of one larger united band. On the whole, I 

 think that, by it tne item of labour in the expense account 

 is somewhat increased, while the horsework is economised: 

 thus the advantages and disadvantages about counterbalance 

 each other. 



To the holding of 119 acres, situated at about 20 feet 

 elevation above the sea-level, having the river Beauly as its 

 southern boundary, the following description and remarks, 

 forming part of a contribution on the subject of " Draining' 

 to the columns of the AgrkuUural Gazette in 1855,apply : — 



" A specimen of the soil and subsoil having been sub- 

 mitted in the year 1845 to Professor Johnston, he furnished 

 the following analysis, appending thereto some valuable re- 

 marks and instructions (partially quoted belowl, which 

 have been of much service in directing the processes of cul- 

 ture and management followed out. Analysis of— 



By Washing — Soil. Subsoil. 



Clay, fine sand, and organic matter. . 93.07 97.12 

 Coarse sand and small stones (j.93 2.88 



By Analysis — 



Organic matter , .. 10.10 2.44 



Alkaline salts, soluble in water .... 91 0.15 



Gypsum, sulphate of lime 0.19 Trace. 



Oxide of iron 3 32 370 



Alumina, soluble iu acids 2.13 2.41 



Carbonate of lime 1 32 0.47 



Carbonate of magnesia 0.87 0.61 



Insoluble silicious matter 81.17 88,25 



100.00 98.03 



«' ' Remarks. — It is a stiff clay soil, formed, as your 

 geological position would intimate, from the debris of the 

 mica-slate-rock, with a little assistance from the granite and 

 old red sandstone. The proportion of oxide of iron, derived 

 chiefly from the latter, is not excessive ; and in a proper 

 condition of the soil, properly drained, thoroughly opened, 

 and well tilled, Vv-ould add to its productive character. But 

 I observe that this oxide has formed itself into little lumps, 

 indicating an unwholesome condition of the soil — that the 

 air is not properly admitted, and that there exist among the 

 soil particles of ochrey matter with which it will not be 

 wholesome for the roots of plants to come in contact. The 

 small quantity of organic matter in the subsoil would seem 

 to imply that it has been hitherto in a condition in which 

 very lew roots would willingly descend into it. These facts 

 all recommend thorough drainage and subsoiling as neces- 

 sary to render available to the plant the different kinds of 

 food which the soil so abundantly contains.' 



" These remarks were written in July 1845. Perhaps 

 their accuracy could not be better supported than by the 

 simple statement that the wheat crop of the outgoing tenant 

 for that year was estimated by valuators at 14^ bushels per 

 acre ; an estimate which was somewhat in excess of the pro- 

 duce actually harvested by me, the incomiig tenant. The 

 whole farm has been thoroughly drained, and the effects are 

 very satisfactory — the produce being now in the aggregate 

 fully threefold of what it was prior to draining and deep til- 

 lage, though the ochery matter which the learned Professor 

 described as ' not wholesome for the roots of plants to come 

 in contact with,' is not yet quite washed out or neutralised : 

 hence the produce of wheat and oats disappoints expectation, 

 while green crops are satisfactory. 



" When I began draining, Smith of Deanston's system 

 of furrow draining was beginning to be accepted by the 

 more advanced agriculturists as a proved and practicable 

 improvement ; and his plan of 2^-feet drains filled for a foot 

 with broken stones, was the perfection of drainage engineer- 

 ing. Such was the system followed in the major part of the 

 drainage I effected. My first change was to 3 feet depth 

 with 8 inches of broken stones; then came tiles with 

 boards below for soles, aud broken stones above. It was in 

 1848 that I put down the first pipe-tiles, 3 feet deep. 



Increasing that depth to 3J feet, and placing l^^inch pipe 

 drains in the line of greatest descent at intervals of 8 yards, 

 we attain to what may well and truly be termed ' thorough 

 drainage.' 



" Drainage on each of these systems has, I must say, been 

 efficacious, whatever preference I may give to one system over 

 another. No water, even after heavy rain, lies for above a 

 few hours on the least perfectly drained field. It is true 

 that the run through the stone drains is not so rapid as it is 

 through tiles, but those who have scanned the results 

 obtained by one of the most skilful and successful of Scot- 

 tish agriculturists, Mr. Hope, of Fenton Barns— which are 

 largest from land drained on what the enthusiasts for deep 

 draining would consider ver}' faulty principles — are cautious 

 about trying to ' make good better' by going again over 

 their drained ground ; therefore 1 am content to allow my 

 land stone- drained, at 2^ and 3 feet depth, to lie as it is." 



On this holding the work done on or to the land has been 

 furrow-draining, as above desciibed; the building with 

 stone conduits, and filling up of upwards of "2000 yards of 

 wide open ditches ; the levelling of old fences and grubbing 

 up of thickets, which formerly rendered useless 5 acres of 

 ground, and impeded the straight working of the fields. 

 These labours cost about £600 for hired labour, besides 

 much work by the servants and horses of the farm ; a part — 

 £375— of this was money obtained by the landlord's co- 

 operation, under the Government Drainage Loan Act, for 

 which the full interest of 6^ per cent, is paid by me, and 

 classed in the accounts under the head of rental. Subsoil- 

 ing ; the use of lime, pure and in composts (principally the 

 latter) ; the application of guano and other portable 

 manures, are the further means used in each year for the 

 improvement of the soil of this holding, but it continues 

 A DEAF SOIL. Iron is still abundant " in an unwholesome 

 condition," and practical farmers know well that such a soil 

 is more productive of straw and weeds than of corn. 



A steading, including water-power mill and mill-dam, 

 was erected by me at my own expense, with the exception 

 that wood and slates were furnished by the landlord. This, 

 with the refitting of the dwelling-house, also done by me, 

 cost little less than £500. 



Of the other holding, 120 acres are in a flat, reclaimed by 

 embankment from the Frith. All this land is below the 

 level of high water. The drainage water is collected in 

 open ditches surrounding and intersecting the flat, and dis- 

 charged at low water by sluices through the embankment. 

 When the laud was reclaimed about thirty years ago, it ^yas 

 a perfect swamp, not merely from the influence of overlying 

 water from tides, but also from spring- water ; for, lying as 

 it does immediately at the foot of a gravelly terrace of land 

 extending back for several miles without any natural drain- 

 age outlet, the water of filtration through this large extent 

 rises to the surface through the flat. This rising watei- was 

 originally taken from the fields into the surrounding ditches 

 by drains formed of brushwood. These, of course, soon 

 decayed, and were replaced by drains formed either of 

 stones from the gravel, three to six inches in diameter,_or 

 of split trees laid triangularly together. These, again, 

 became unsatisfactory, and are still the cause of much 

 annoyance from frequently bursting out. Since the com- 

 mencement of the prtsent lease, the land has been gone over 

 again, and £394 advanced by the landlord (interest on this 

 at 6^ per cent, is also paid and included in the rental 

 charge) has been expended in thorough pipe drainage — the 

 leading drains being constructed of stones, the rejected cut- 

 tings of a large red sandstone quarry in the immediate 

 neighbourhood. The outfall is so defective, even at low 

 water, that three feet is the utmost depth that can be 

 attained, and there is expense continually incurred by the 

 silting up of the pipes and the breaking out of the old 

 wooden drains. The containing ditches are also difficult to 

 keep clean, as the current is very languid, and water-weeds 

 grow rapidly and choke them. 



This flat is of a peaty soil, lying on a subsoil of bluish 

 alluvial sand, with occasional veins of diluvial clay through 

 it ; and it also is charged with an unwelcome superfluity of 

 ochrey matter, giving it a similar character to the previous 

 division— namely, that of " a deaf soil." 



The other 60 acres of this holding are on the gravel ter- 

 race, about 40 feet above high water mark. They consist 



