306 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



termed a " mark." This word signifies, in the Novse 

 dialect, a coin, a weight, a field, and in the present 

 case it may be translated a share. A proportional 

 quantity of Slietland contains about 14,000 marks, and 

 a proprietor is said to be a laird of so many marks, not 

 acres. All the land, with the exception of the small 

 grazing islands, was anciently divided, as it still re- 

 mains, into districts of unequal extent, termed seal (aids, 

 and the boundary lines of each defined and recorded. 

 Each of those contained a certain number of marks, 

 some greater and others less. The marks or shares in 

 any one scattald are of equal value, though they may be 

 very different as compared with those of another; for 

 one district containing 200 marks may be less extensive 

 and valuable than another containing 100. In the event 

 of dividing a scattald possessed by several proprietors, 

 each receives his proportion according to the number of 

 marks or shares in it, which his rental bears. These 

 scattalds are again subdivided into, first, enclosed 

 and appropriated, and secondly unenclosed and 

 unappropriated. The former contain the arable 

 grass, with meadow lands, which bear a very 

 small proportion to the unenclosed or commons. This 

 mode of division into districts or scattalds was, it ap- 

 pears to me, coeval with the settlement of the first Nor- 

 wegian colonists. Each adventurer with his followers 

 fixed himself in a certain situation, and boundary lines 

 between localities occupied by independent possessors 

 were determined, to prevent collision and encroachment. 

 The division again into marks or shares was obviously 

 to facilitate sale and succession. The reader will here 

 observe some curious points of resemblance between 

 Scandinavian and very recently promulgated principles 

 of colonization. (New Statistical Account of Scotland). 



Reference is made, as will be noticed in the above ex- 

 tract, to enclosed lands. But the truth is that inclosures 

 are generally of the lowest and most worthless descrip- 

 tion. Indeed, not a few good authorities attribute the 

 slow progress of good agriculture to the state of the 

 ring-fences. Generally they are built of turf, and are 

 easily leaped by the sheep, which, agile to an extraor- 

 dinary degree, and wild withal, require fences of a more 

 than ordinarily excellent kind to prevent them tres- 

 passing. One of the most enterprizing farmers in the 

 islands told us that he had been obliged to put away his 

 sheep, such were the ravages they made amongst his crops, 

 and such the difficulties he had in keeping his fences in 

 a good and efficient condition. " Every year," says an 

 authority, " the poor people sustain a loss more or less 

 on this account, and those who have bad fences require 

 to keep a number of dogs for the protection of their pro- 

 perty." Another authority, writing of the state of agri- 

 culture in his parish, states : "Among the obstacles to 

 improvement must not be omitted the present ring- 

 fences. These are nowhere eflScient ; and it is only 

 during the summer and harvest months that they are 

 kept in tolerable repair. As soon as the corns are put 

 into the yard, every ' grind' or gate is open ; the dikes in 

 many cases pulled down, and suffered to continue in that 

 state, till the young corn appears several inches above 

 the ground. In the meantime cows, horses, and sheep are 

 allowed to pasture at freedom, and swine root up and 

 destroy what years of the best husbandry could hardly 

 repair. 



" The farms generally are of small extent, three and 

 four acres being extents not uncommonly met with. 

 They are generally divided according to the old system 

 — ' outfield' and ' infield.' The infield is that which 

 receives the best cultivation, and in which the valuable 

 crops are raised. The outfield is seldom manured. 



" Leases are by no means general, and the weight of 

 testimony evident'y is in favour of the notion that the 

 people are c:srulj:,3 about havin-.v thca tijm-, ho-.v-VL'r, 



intimately acquainted with the habits of the people and 

 the condition of the soil, attribute not a little of the general 

 backwardness of agricultural improvement to their ab- 

 sence. On the other hand, there are others who possessas 

 intimate a knowledge of the people and soil, who say that 

 leases are of no moment, and, at all events, if wanted, 

 could be easily obtained. 



" Lime is often met with, but is seldom used in agri- 

 cultural operations : mixed with many of the crude, sour, 

 mossy lands it would be of great benefit to the crops. 

 Limestone is used for building pui'poses, and is suscep- 

 tible of a good polish. Sand-stone slate is used for 

 roofing purposes, for houses of the better class. Coal 

 is entirely absent ; but nature, ever compensatory in its 

 provisions, lends ample stores of ' peat' to raise the 

 cheerful blaze and the genial heat in the hearths, for there 

 are no fire-places in the huts of the Shetlander. 



"Of birds the great pest of the farmer is the mountain 

 linnet. It is particularly fond of turnip seed, and when 

 the turnip plant begins to spring (the seed being in the 

 top of the peeping leaf), swarms of linnets congregate 

 on the furrows, and in a short time whole rows of the 

 embryo turnips are pulled up, and scattered on ground 

 like heaps of ravelled threads. * * The mischief 

 hence arising to the miniature fields of the cottars may 

 be imagined. Indeed a return need not be expected, 

 unless the ground be diligently watched till the plants 

 are all fairly above the soil." The raven is noted for 

 its rapacity, and not content with carrion, it is known 

 to attack and kill even the ponies in early spring, when 

 the hardships of the winter have rendered them weak 

 and almost incapable of defence. Still greater numbers 

 of lambs and fowls fall a prey to the daring attacks of 

 the raven. '1 he corncrake is met with in the fields of 

 the Shetlander, and is considered a bird of good omen, 

 its presence denoting the likelihood of an early ripened 

 and plentiful harvest. Its nest when found is religiously 

 preserved from injury. 



When we name the Muscovy rat, the house and field 

 mice, the otter, the weasel, and the rabbit, we ex- 

 haust all notes on the zoology of Shetland possessing 

 interest to our readers. 



We glance at the peculiarities of the climate, for which 

 word or two will suffice. Moist and variable, it is on 

 the whole mild, rarely presenting great extremes of 

 temperature. Heavy gales torment the coasts, and send 

 across the land showers of sea-spray, which fre- 

 quently blast the husbandman's hopes. It is the land 

 of mists and mildew, and is seldom blessed with that 

 genial and life-inspiring sunshine which renders spots in 

 other lands so fair and fertile. Tenipestous winds, of 

 sudden rise and amazing force, sweep across the corn- 

 laden fields in autumn, and frequently beat out the 

 corn, allowed to remain on the ground in many instances 

 till over-ripe, as completely almost as if effected by the 

 thrashing-machine in the field. Heavy rains are in 

 winter time frequent; thunder and lightning arc com- 

 paratively rare. 



The condition of agriculture throughout the islands 

 is far below the standard of more southern districts. 

 There are, however, some striking exceptions to this 

 as, for instance, on the farm of Mr. Hay, at Lingwall, 

 where there is a large steading, the land well drained, 

 and where crops are raised little inferior in value to 

 many in first-cliss south-country farms. The same 

 praise may be awarded to Mr. Penny, of Kilderbiston, 

 in the Island of Bressay, on whose farm we have seen 

 crops and well-tilled fields which would have done 

 honour to many a farm in more favoured localities, 

 There are also in the parish of Dunrossness, and at 

 the east of Uressay, excellent examples of what can be 

 done by the exercise of sound judgment and scientific 

 cperalion, cvei) u'/icler circurastancrs the most un- 



