VIII 



NORTHERN CORN-GROWING: THE MORAY 

 FIRTH 



As several notable types of farming still remained 

 unvisited we determined on another traverse of the 

 country, this time from north to south, and convenience 

 dictated a start with that far northern arable area 

 which lies by the shores of the Moray Firth. This 

 favoured district may be said to extend round the 

 Firth from about Banff through Elgin and Forres, 

 across the Beauly Firth to the Black Isle, then across 

 the Cromarty Firth for some miles farther up the 

 coast the Easter Ross country in a strip of low 

 land between the foothills of the Highlands and the 

 sea, not more than 1 2 miles broad at its widest point. 

 The good land is all below the 500 ft. contour line, 

 the best of it practically at sea level ; and it is dis- 

 tinguished by possessing an average rainfall of little 

 more than 2 5 inches, some of the area receiving even 

 less, a condition which is only elsewhere paralleled 

 round the Wash and in Essex. The mean tempera- 

 tures are also high, comparable with those of South 

 Yorkshire ; and though the summers are much cooler 

 than those prevailing in the Midlands and south- 

 east of England the winters are no colder, while the 

 crops are also favoured by the long duration of the 

 summer days. The result is that at 58 deg. N. the 



