104 Ten Years of East Lothian Farniiiuj. 



and Hopetoun wheat, as well as the Hopetoun oat, has for several 

 years devoted most of his attention to experiments in wheat. In 

 nursery fashion, he grows annually not less than a hundred 

 varieties, including' every species known to the British Islands. 

 The practical result of this labour is the introduction of two new 

 varieties which have already taken their place in the wheat-fields 

 of the county. One of these is a red, the other a white wheat; 

 both are bearded, and bear the name of the propagator. 



Of barley, which is cultivated to an increasing extent, there is 

 but one variety used, the Chevalier ; whilst the oat is represented 

 by the Potato, the Angus, the Hopetoun, the Sandy, and to a 

 small extent, by the Black Tartarian. Of these the Potato-oat 

 is the favourite in rich deep soils, whilst the Sandy has the 

 merit of being least easily shaken by the wind, which frequently 

 causes great losses in East Lothian. Hailstorms of a destructive 

 character are, on the other hand, all but unknown ; one instance 

 only being on record, which occurred a few years ago, when the 

 crops in several parishes were almost destroyed. 



Root-Croys. 



The turnip-crop has always been an important one in East 

 Lothian, but formerly that importance rested in a great mea- 

 sure upon the fact that it formed the surest foundation for a 

 remunerative grain-crop, whilst now the roots, grown for their 

 own sakes, form the chief object of the agriculturist. Of the 

 softer turnips the white globe occupies the largest space, but it 

 has been to some extent displaced by the Greystone, a species 

 recently introduced, which produces the heaviest crop of any 

 variety. Being very soft and liable to injury from frost, its use 

 is restricted to the early part of the season — a circumstance which 

 must always tend to circumscribe the extent of its cultivation. 



Skirving's purple-top succeeds the earlier turnips, whilst green 

 and yellow varieties follow as the food of the farm till Christ- 

 mas, when the swede becomes the reliance of the farmer, for all 

 animals save breeding-ewes, for which white or yellow turnips 

 are reserved. 



An annual sweepstakes, which is held under the auspices of 

 the local agricultural society, shows the following as the highest 

 weights on the best five acres of turnips of different sorts : — 

 Swedes, 31 tons 18 cwt. ; yellow, 36 tons 10 cwt. ; white, 45 

 tons per acre. 



While the turnip-crop is thus increasing in importance, the 

 potato has, during the last decade, created almost a revolution in 

 the agriculture of the country, has largely contributed to the rise 

 in the value of land, has brought very considerable sums into 

 the district, and has attracted to it a population special! v devoted 



