Farming of East Lothian. 



279 



blow witli great fury. When they occur during harvest, serious 

 injury is often sustained from the shedding of grain. On exposed 

 situations the loss from this cause alone, during the currency of 

 a lease of nineteen years, has been estimated on some farms at 

 three rents, and has not unfrequently so hampered the occupant 

 as to prevent him from fulfilling the terms of his contract. 



The climate of East Lothian is favourably influenced by the 

 proximity of a great body of water — the German Ocean on the 

 east, and the estuary of the Forth on the north. During winter 

 the temperature is thus raised, which operates favourably on the 

 feeding of stock, particularly of sheep folded on turnips, and 

 cattle kept in open courts. I3uring summer there is frequently 

 a sea and land breeze during the twenty-four hours : this gene- 

 rally commences in June, and continues through the summer. 

 The quantity of rain which falls in different districts within the 

 county varies considerably. On the south-western side the quan- 

 tity which falls some months in spring is double that which 

 falls in the lower and eastern districts. This difference is most 

 marked in June and July. During these two months the absence 

 of sufficient moisture not unfrequently injures both cereal and 

 root crops, occasionally reducing the produce by one-fifth, or 

 even one-third, below that of a more favourable year. The fall 

 of rain for the last six years in the parish of Dirleton is as 

 follows : — 



1847 ...... 22-1 



1848 28-7 



1849 22-2 



1850 17-7 



1851 18-2 



• 1852 26-2 



Average . . 22*5 



In the following description of the rotations practised in East 

 Lothian we will first give the details of the different systems of 

 management, and also subjoin an account of one or two farms, 

 which will better illustrate our gfeneral remarks. 



There are three rotations, which embrace nearly all the farm- 

 ing of the county — a four, a five, and a six course shift. 



The four-course is — 



1. Turnips, potatoes. 



2. Wheat, barley. 



3. Grass-seeds, depastured or cut. 



4. Oats. 



The five-course is — 



1. Fallow, turnips, potatoes. 



2. Wheat, barley, oats. 



