OF THE 



UNIVERSITY 



59 



RENFREW. The reasons assigned for the decline are: Causes of 



(1) Increased cost of labour and reduced price for most of 

 the produce of arable farms, resulting in the land being laid 

 down in grass. 



(2) The adoption of labour-saving machinery. 



(3) The heavy expense in the upkeep of farm buildings to 

 meet modern requirements, especially on dairy farms to con- 

 form to sanitary regulations. 



All three causes, Mr. Pollock states, tend to an increase in 

 the size of the holding for economic working. He adds that 

 many persons brought up on the land refuse to follow agricul- 

 ture, and prefer life in the towns. 



Ross AND CROMARTY. Mr. Reid considers that the apparent 

 increase of farmers and graziers is incorrect. The decrease of 

 shepherds is, he states, entirely owing to sheep land being 

 turned into deer forests. Many farms employing six or seven 

 shepherds have been cleared of gheep for this purpose. The 

 decline in labourers is due : 



(1) To land being kept more in grass, very few farms being 

 now worked on the four-course shift. 



(2) To the use of machinery. The general use of the self- 

 binder and manuring the turnip break in the autumn enables 

 a farmer to do with many less hands. 



Mr. Fletcher attributes the decrease to emigration and in 

 general to the necessity of curtailing expenditure on labour in 

 every possible way. 



Mr. Mackenzie considers that the decline is entirely due to 

 " over education." " The boys and girls, as soon as they are 

 14 or 15, go off to Glasgow and the south and will have nothing 

 to say to their parents' occupations." 



SHETLAND. Mr. Mainland writes : "I cannot see that the 

 decrease has been so much as is reported. As far as farmers 

 and graziers are concerned, I can give no explanation what- 

 ever. The reasons of the decrease in labourers and farm 

 servants are: 



" (1) There has been more machinery imported into the 

 country. 



" (2) There has been a great demand for Shetland hosiery 

 and the females have devoted more of their time to the manu- 

 facturing of it than to agricultural labour." 



A third reason Mr. Mainland finds is the herring-fishing, 

 in which, he states, the greater part of the men and women 

 in Shetland are engaged all the summer and harvest. He does 

 not consider there has been any decrease amongst male farm 

 servants. Mr. Anderson thinks that the successful fishings of 

 recent years may partly account for the apparent decrease in 

 the agricultural population, and adds that the passing of the 



