436 
Sutherland Reclamation. 
No. 6 (34 a.) and No. 7 (31a. 2r.). In 1877 oats, a good 
crop, except on certain patches of brown moss ; in 1878 limed, 
" disced," and sown in June with rape and grass-seeds ; in Sep- 
tember 1878, the seeds had already been fed down, but the 
plant looked strong and healthy. For want of thorough drain- 
ing, these seeds have since deteriorated. In 1879 the No. 6 
field was dressed with 5 cwt. of mixed superphosphate and 
bone-meal ; it was fed till April, and then laid up. A poor 
crop of hay was cut on the 11th of August. 
No. 8 (14 a. 1 r.). In 1877 turnips and rape ; 1878, limed, 
"disced," and sown in June with rape and grass-seeds ; a good 
crop. For similar reasons this grass did not do well in 1879. 
No. 9 (33 a. 2 r.). In 1877 oats, a good crop ; 1878, " disced," 
harrowed, and sown with Sandy oats. The yield was 112 
quarters, or 3 quarters 3 bushels per acre, exclusive of the 
Takings. The oat-stubble was ploughed up by horses in autumn. 
In spring 1879 the hard land was cultivated, and the soft land 
"disced" and harrowed by steam. Turnips were sown on 27th 
June with 5 cwt. of superphosphate and bone-meal. While 
" discing " in May and June the peat soil was so dried up by 
the drought that it caught fire wherever the ashes fell from the 
engine, and it was necessary to keep men with pails of water 
to put it out. 
The brief life of this farm has been of a somewhat sensa- 
tional character. In 1876 the site was bare brown moorland ; 
in the early autumn of 1877 it was covered with luxuriant 
crops, and nothing agricultural could well look more triumph- 
ant ; a month later and everything was covered with snow. 
Then came a period of desperate struggle to save the imperilled 
crops, until every hope was shattered by the hurricane, and 
nothing could look more deplorable and dreary than these same 
fields, encumbered with the rotting wrecks of their former pride. 
The history of that harvest, as told by Mr. Suter, the grieve, was 
quite a moving tale. In consequence of the difficulty with the 
labourers, cutting did not commence until the 10th of October ; 
snow began on the 12th, and stopped all work till the 23rd. 
Then every hand that could be obtained was hard at work ; the 
ground was too soft to carry a reaping-machine, and all the corn 
had to be cut by hand ; on one day Mr. Suter counted 62 scythes 
at work at one time. At length, on Friday, the 15th of November, 
the whole 345 acres of oats were tied in sheaf. About 50 acres of 
the land was firm enough for carts, and was cleared by the farm 
horses and all the animals that could be obtained on hire. 
On Sunday morning the grieve thought he saw signs of a coming 
change of weather and went round to ask the men to turn out 
and save the crop. They listened in silence and looked glum ; he 
