Sutherland Reclamation. 
431 
time there were 100 people at work in this one large field. As 
the corn was not in good condition, it could not be carried at 
once, but was put up in " huts " or " screws," i. e. about 
20 sheaves were put together in a large round stook and capped 
with one or more inverted sheaves well spread out. 
A part of the crop had been got into the rick-yard, when the 
hurricane of November the 22nd swept away the field-screws, 
and blew the ricks down in the yard, strewing the fields and 
choking all the ditches with oat-sheaves. After this the men 
lost heart, and if the Master of Blantyre had not spent a dreary 
winter on the spot, the fields would never have been cleared 
of the wreck of a once luxuriant crop. They were carrying 
oats at Christmas : and late in January they were still clearing 
the fields of wet straw and rotting grain. In 1878 the stubble 
was " disced " by steam, harrowed, and rolled by horses and 
oxen, and sown by hand with rape, clover, and grass-seeds. 
A self-sown crop of oats, shed during the disastrous harvest of 
the previous year, came up and grew vigorously. There was 
such a full plant of oats, that if it had not been for the 
rape the whole field would have paid to leave till harvest time. 
As it was, 30 ^acres Avere cut early in August, made into a sort 
of hay, and stacked. The rest of the field was cut and sheaved 
early in September. The oats would have been a good crop, 
but the rape was from 6 to 30 inches high, and much of it 
"vvas consequently up in each of the sheaves. To prevent 
heating in the stack, ingenious frameworks were erected for 
ventilation, and round these the sheaves ^were built up into 
small circular stacks : as soon as it was high enough to 
form the roof, four poles were put up against the sides of the 
rick, and cross poles were fastened on these ; the conical roof 
was then built up so that its weight rested upon this external 
frame without pressing down upon the rick itself. This con- 
trivance answered its purpose well, and the oats were thrashed 
out without difficulty. After harvest the stubble showed a good 
plant of seeds. The vigour and rapidity of growth of the 
rape in this field seems to indicate that this plant should be 
more largely grown than it has hitherto been on newly reclaimed 
land in Sutherland. 400 to 500 hoggets were turned on to the 
rape and seeds in the autumn of 1878, and they throve splen- 
didly, being in the opinion of Mr. McTarvis, the grieve, the 
best in the county. They remained till the beginning of No- 
vember, when they went to the turnips in No. 5. In spring 
the ewes and lambs were put into this field ; the grass helped 
the milk until its growth was checked by drought. Since then 
83 Highlanders have had the run of the field ; their hoofs 
are doing harm, but there is a good plant of grass and clover. 
2 F 2 
