Farming of East Lothian. 



317 



Fextox Bahxs. 



The farm of Fenton Barns, occupied by Mr. George Hope on a 21 years* 

 lease, is situated in the north division of the county, about 3 miles from the 

 sea ; altitude under 100 feet ; exposure, south-west. Although sufficiently 

 undulated for drainage purposes, it is comparatively level : it is also open and 

 free from plantations. The extent of the farm is 664 acres, of which 12 acres 

 are occupied with buildings, gardens, &c. The fences have all been put in since 

 1793, being completed so late as 1815. Two-thirds of the farm rest upon the 

 trap-rock, one-third upon the boulder clay. The depth of this bed of clay has 

 not been ascertained, but has been found to exceed 30 feet. The soil resting 

 upon the clay is indifferent ; part of it is moorish sand, the whole of v,-hich, a 

 few years ago, was yellow in colour, and unsuitable for tiie growth of wheat. 

 By draining and dressing the sandy portions with the boulder clay, and vice 

 versa. \i has become a useful soil. I'his portion of tlie farm, at the close of 

 the last century, was uncultivated, and covered partly with furze-bushes, these 

 being confined to the places where the clay came to the surface. The soil 

 resting upon the trap-rock is superior, especially where the rock is in the form 

 of basalt. On the other portions it is more of a thin clay than a fertile loam. 

 The whole soil originally was more or less retentive, but has been changed in 

 character by furrow-draining and a long course of liberal manurings. The 

 farm has been in possession of the same family for upwards of 60 years. 

 Before it was thorough-drained it was with great difficulty that possession was 

 retained, the produce being so very uncertain. It was only the extra pro- 

 duce of favourable seasons — dry, with a high average temperature — that 

 carried the farm through the bad seasons. Since the draina2:e has been com- 

 pleted the crops are not only more equal, but the average produce equals that of 

 the former favourable years. This is, in part, owing also to the use of portable 

 manures. The whole farm has been limed. From 1814 up to 1822, large 

 sums were annually spent, some years amounting to half the rent, which, at 

 that period, was 1706/. The average expense for lim.e was about 71. per acre. 

 As showing the rise of rent in the county within a period of sixty years, it may 

 be mentioned that the rent in 1793 was 810/.; in 1814 the rent. was in- 

 creased to 1710/. This sum was changed to 450 quarters of wheat in 1822, 

 calculated at the second fiars prices of the county. A new lease has just 

 been entered upon ; the present rent is a rise of between 15 and 20 percent., 

 still computed by the fiars prices. 



The farm has been all thorough-drained within the last 20 years, the tenant 

 doing the whole at his own expense, 300/. excepted. Permission to manu- 

 facture drain-tiles being obtained, these were made both for the use of the 

 farm, and also partly for sale. Charging the tiles used in the drainage at the 

 sale price, the sum expended on tiles and cutting the drains was upwards of 

 2500/. From experiments, which have been made public, Mr. Hope has 

 formed very strong opinions as to the inutility of deep-drainage on such 

 soils as his own — stilf retentive subsoils, free of under-water. The depth he 

 prefers is 30 inches ; the distance between the drains is 18 feet, as it was 

 found that drains 4 feet deep and 36 feet apart did not dry the land sufficiently 

 to admit of sheep-folding on turnips. The whole farm has been thorough- 

 di-ained, up the slope of the land. The old drains, formed of small stones and 

 cut across the slope, are still in active operation, carrying otF spring-water. In 

 the estimate of the expenditure incurred by the tenant in draining, these are 

 not included. 



The farm is divided into 27 fields by thorn fences, which are trimmed close, 

 and not allowed to exceed in height 4*^ feet. The three largest fields consist 

 of 40 acres : the average size is 25 acres. Rotation is not strictly adhered to, 

 the desire being to have as much of the land under green crop as possible, 

 one-fifth of the farm being usually under grass. A part of the farm, extending 



