CHAPTEE XLVIII. 



Crops — Potato Slug — Fern Slug — Brackens: How thoroughly to extirpate them — The 

 Merlin — Falcon and Tringa. 



We have had a full fortniglit of magnificent summer weather 



[August 1875], a bright sun over-head from morning till night, 



with brisk breezes, a leanachd na greine, following the sun ; that is, 



beginning in the morning at east, and gradually wearing round 



jpari passu with the solar march, tUl at sunset it is north-west, and 



so on roimd and round the compass day after day, a phenomenon 



usually attendant upon the very finest weather in our northern 



latitudes. Under these circumstances it wUl not surprise those 



who care for such matters to hear that our hay crop, about which 



we were in such anxiety, has been secured in splendid condition, 



in such condition, indeed, as we can rarely boast of in the West 



Highlands. Our meadow hay crop, too, is this year unusually 



heavy, and already, in obedience to the adage which teaches that 



it is well and wise to make one's hay while the sun shines, we are 



all busy getting it cut down and secured, although the old, orthodox 



season is not yet for a fortnight to come — about old Lammastide. 



Oats with us here are generally a light crop, but it will as such be 



easier to secure in good condition than a heavier crop would be, 



and, upon the whole, may thus turn out quite as profitable. 



Potatoes are not so heavy haulmed as usual, but in other respects 



they promise well, and there is no appearance of our old enemy the 



"blight." We hear, however, a good deal of complaint in some 



districts on account of the prevalence this year of yellow shaw, or 



