Report on some features of Scottish Agriculture. 
109 
pecks is the quantity generally drilled on Fenton Barns ; it is 
got in as early as possible, and the land is then harrowed, 
according to the season. 
Cutting is done by the usual farm labourers with reaping 
machines ; and it is not found necessary, as a rule, to employ any 
extra men. Last year, reaping was commenced with the wheat 
about August 1st, and carrying about the 12th, by which date 
nearly the whole of the oats and barley had been cut. As a rule, 
cutting takes about three weeks, as it is rarely that a whole field 
can be finished off without an interval. Ten days after reaping 
is over the whole of the carrying should be done. 
2. Beans. — The oat stubble is dunged with about sixteen cart- 
loads per imperial acre, and the manure is ploughed in by steam 
with a very strong furrow. The land is harrowed down in 
February, and Fowler's grubber is put through it to the depth 
of 12 inches immediately after. The seed is distributed on the 
flat by a Ransome's drill, which has had every alternate spout 
removed, making the rows 16J inches apart. A mixture of 
beans and vetches is generally sown, the proportions being 2h or 
3 pecks of tares to 4 bushels of beans. About 9 pecks of the 
mixture are drilled per imperial acre as soon as the weather will 
allow, generally about the end of February. Mr. Hope con- 
siders that by this system he gets a larger crop, and keeps his 
land cleaner, because covered, than by the 27-inch ridge system. 
He prefers vetches to peas, because they yield a better price 
and because cattle prefer tare-straw. Tare-straw and bean-straw 
are also given to the lambing ewes in spring, when turnips are 
getting short. When the bean-plants are well above ground they 
are horse-hoed once or twice, and hand-hoed and weeded once 
between. The produce of the crop of 1870 will be above 4 quarters 
of beans and 2 quarters of tares per imperial acre. The relative 
proportions of these grains vary with the seasons, there being 
generally fewer tares and more beans. A few acres of tares 
mixed with oats are sown for cutting green, and are found useful 
for most kinds of stock in dry seasons. 
3. Potatoes. — The land is steam-ploughed as soon as possible 
after harvest, and grubbed in the spring after barley-sowing. It 
is then drawn off in 27-inch drills and dressed with from 16 to 
18 tons of farmyard-manure per imperial acre, as well as 7 cwts. 
of artificial manure, chiefly Peruvian guano, and the remainder 
superphosphate and cotton-cake. Mr. Hope finds the cotton- 
cake answer extremely well ; but, in his opinion, nothing can 
approach guano : he has used potash, but has given it up. Haif- 
a-ton of potatoes are required to plant an acre. The setts are 
cut tubers, with one, or at most two, eyes. If the tuber is small, 
it is sufiicient to cut off the " rose " end, and throw it away, 
