Sutherland Reclamation. 
471 
No. 4 (56 a.). The turf is thin over the greater part of 
this field, but there is a troublesome piece of about 15 acres 
of deep peat in its north-western corner, bj the road-side. 
Forty acres of this field were Sutherland-ploughed in 1877 ; 
" disced " and harrowed in the spring of 1878 by 8-horse engines.- 
The land was next consolidated by sledges, limed, and chain- 
harrowed by oxen. Turnips were sown broadcast, with nearly 
10 cwt. of bone-meal and dissolved bones per acre in July. 
Dry weather set in, and the crop was very poor. Sandy oats 
were sown in 1879, and were seeded down with a mixture of 
Italian and perennial rye-grass, alsike, and white and yellow 
clovers. Both oats and seeds were looking well in August. 
Soil from this field was sent in January 1879 to Mr. T. 
Jamieson, of Aberdeen, who reported that it contained 38 per 
cent, of organic matter, but was deficient in all the most valuable 
mineral constituents except magnesia. Potash was only present 
in small quantity', and there were traces only of lime, sulphuric 
acid, and phosphoric acid. Only the western side of this field 
has been drained. The 15 acres of deep peat contain many 
big roots, especially in the corner next the road. From its 
position it was thought advisable to bring this land into culti- 
vation, but it would have been much less expensive to plant it 
with trees. A contractor attempted to drain it at the usual 
price, but he soon threw up the job, and it cost fully 1/., instead 
of bs. per chain, to dig the drains. This part of the field has 
been sown this summer with rape and grass seeds. 
No. 5 (39 a. Or. 16 p.). This was Sutherland-ploughed in 
June and July 1877 ; drained in the autumn of 1877, and spring 
of 1878. In April "disced," sledged, and sown with artificial 
manures, oats, and grass-seeds. The oats and grass both failed 
for want of lime. A dressing of slaked lime was given late in 
June, but it was too late to be of use that year. In 1879 
grass was only to be found above the drains, where the subsoil 
thrown out had probably been beneficial, and at the roadside, 
where it is not improbable that the land at one time derived 
some advantage from the near proximity of the Achintoul Inn, 
now converted into the shooting lodge. 
No. 6 (39 a. 3 r. 24 p.). In the autumn of 1877 the western 
side of this field for about 80 yards wide was broken up by the 
Sutherland plough in the form in which it came from Shinness, 
i.e. with a plain subsoiler or toothpick ; the subsoil of this 
part of the field was only stirred and none of it brought to the 
surface. Afterwards a part of the field was ploughed with the 
implement in an improved though not in its latest form. A 
short mould-board was attached to the subsoil tine ; this 
brought some of the sand and gravel to the top, and made 
good work where the peat was less than 18 inches deep ; but 
