422 
Sutherland Reclamation. 
Achnanerain is laid out in seven arable fields. The field 
No. 1 (39 a. 0 r. 3 p.) was left in its rough state longer than 
any other part of the farm ; a part must at one time have had 
upon it several small cultivated crofts, which were covered with 
short sweet grass. A belt of small birch-trees . extended over 
one-fourth of the field. These were cut for making good the soft 
spots in the foundation of roads to carry the engines. In 
December 1876 the roots of these trees were pulled up by two 
16-horse engines. In 1877 these roots and the numerous sur- 
face-stones were removed by a contractor in carts for 50s. per 
acre. A ridge of solid rock running across the field made it 
difficult to drain, but the same contractor drained the whole 
field with stones at a cost of 9s. per chain, having to blast many 
stones that came in the line of the drains and were too large for 
removal by the pick. The land was limed, and in April 1878 
it was " disced," and then sown with oats and grass-seeds. The 
summer was unusually dry. Where the land had been " disced " 
at the beginning of the month the crop was good, but where 
it had been " disced " late it failed from drought. The " discer " 
did not destroy the old natural grass as the plough would have 
done. In August 1879 a great part of the field looked like old 
pasture, the natural grasses having completely mastered the 
artificial. 
No. 2 (41 a. 2 r. 19 p.) in 1875, oats ; 1876, turnips ; 1877, oats, 
a very good even crop ; 1878, grass-fed by sheep till the end of 
May, then laid up for hay ; the season was dry, and the produce 
10 cwt. per acre of good quality. In 1879 the field was steam- 
rolled and fed off by sheep and cattle ; the clover was very good. 
All the high-lying part of this field was covered with birch- 
wood ; it was cleared in a novel manner by steam-power. Short 
iron chains were passed round the trunks of five or six of the 
trees ; these were then connected with the wire-rope, and a pull 
from one of the engines uprooted them all together. The work 
was quickly done ; and though it can hardly be recommended 
as an economical method of clearing a plantation, it afforded a 
very striking and picturesque illustration of the power of -steam. 
No. 3 (48 a. 1 r. 25 p.). In 1875, oats ; 1876 and 1877, grass 
grazed ; in 1878, drained, " disced," and sown with turnips, and 
about 12 acres of swedes and 5 acres of rape. The turnips and 
swedes were a good crop. The rape was much choked by 
grass, but the plants that survived grew strongly. The swedes 
were all carted off, and the land was ploughed by horses and 
oxen. The rape and turnips were fed off by hoggets, getting a run 
on the hills. When the turnips were covered by snow the sheep 
got oat-sheaves and hay, with very few turnips ; they did well 
on this. The land was not cleared till late ; it was then, to save 
