SALE OF PRODUCE 391 



as the women also work in the fields in this part 

 of Scotland, the earnings of a household may be 

 considerable. These men, however, represent the 

 aristocracy of farm labour, and are highly skilled ; 

 and as they carry far greater personal responsibilities 

 than, say, a miner or a riveter, they cannot be regarded 

 as overpaid. 



To the east of Dundee near the shore the soils are 

 far lighter than on the Carse, but the farming systems 

 are dominated by the opportunity the city presents 

 for the sale of all kinds of farm produce. A six-year 

 rotation is common oats, potatoes, wheat, turnips, 

 barley, hay and in some cases nearly everything 

 is sold off the farm, the tenant drawing manure back 

 from the town dairies to which he sells his turnips, 

 straw, etc. Dairying is increasing, and where that 

 becomes a leading feature of the farming the rotation 

 is generally lengthened by leaving the seeds down for 

 two or three years. 



Across the Tay, in Fifeshire, the farming is very 

 similar, except that the increased difficulties of 

 transport put an end to the sale of the turnips and 

 green crops, which are consumed by fattening bullocks 

 or dairy stock. East Fife forms rather a good 

 example of the skill and energy of Scottish agri- 

 culture ; most of the country is very steeply un- 

 dulating, without rising to any great elevation, the 

 only flat land being near the sea or in the Howe 

 of Fife. The soils are not particularly good, except, 

 perhaps, in a few places where a warm, reddish soil 

 is found, derived from the old volcanic rocks that 

 have brought about the generally disturbed and rugged 

 aspect of the country. The climate also is hard and 

 bleak, though fairly dry, especially in the autumn. 

 Yet with all these drawbacks Fifeshire is highly 



