Ill 



LANARK. Mr. Gilchrist considers that the altered system of 

 farming in his district requires between 10 and 20 per cent, 

 fewer labourers than formerly. No particular industry, he 

 states, has tended to check the decline, with the exception of 

 fruit growing, near Lanark. Mr. Scott writes : " Fruit farm- 

 ing, especially strawberry growing, has increased enormously 

 in certain parts of the county, and, I think, must have made up 

 for any decrease in the purely agricultural population. Of 

 late years a considerable number of people have acquired by 

 lease a few acres of land for strawberries and other small-fruit 

 culture, with the very best results. Poultry rearing is not 

 practised to any great extent in the county, but I believe would 

 be considerably developed could land be got easily and at a 

 moderate price." Mr. Speir writes : " Here, as elsewhere near 

 large towns, farmers are gradually reducing the area of their 

 ordinary farm crops and going more and more into the produc- 

 tion of vegetables and milk. These farmers are gradually 

 employing more labour than they ever did. My own farm 

 may be mentioned as a case in point. Here the sum expended 

 annually on labour has gradually increased even with one-third 

 of the farm now in pasture, until at the present time it 

 amounts to 5 per acre, or about 2| times the amount of the 

 rent of the land under these crops. There has been a gradual 

 decrease of arable crops in this district for 30 years, and a 

 corresponding increase of pasture for cows. Where no part of 

 the land has been devoted to the growth of vegetables, this has 

 caused some decrease in the rural population." 



ORKNEY. Mr. Watt states that the system of farming on 

 both large and small holdings is much the same as it was 

 20 years ago, and that permanent grass has not been laid down 

 to any great extent. Fruit farming and vegetable growing 

 are not practised in the county. 



RENFREW. Mr. Pollock writes : " Diminished cultivation 

 has reduced the demand for labour by about one-fourth. Fruit 

 farming and vegetable growing have to some extent checked 

 the reduction, but poultry farming has not been successful in 

 this direction." 



SHETLAND. Mr. Anderson writes : " There have been no 

 alterations in the system of farming in this district to affect 

 the demand for labour ; any scarcity of labour would be caused 

 by the demand for hands to prosecute the fishing." 



Mr. Fletcher considers that the demand for labour has not 

 been affected to an appreciable extent by any change in the 

 system of farming, and states that he cannot ascertain that 

 any particular agricultural industry has tended to check the 

 decline in his district. 



STIRLING. Mr. Malcolm estimates that under the present 

 system of farming at least one-fourth less labour is required 

 than formerly. Mr. Drysdale writes ; " Two distinct attempts 



Changes in 



System 

 and Special 

 Industries. 



