Report on some features of Scottish Agriculture. 211 
kept on sheep-farms than hitherto, by confining' them to the 
rougher hill grass that sheep will not touch. The practical diffi- 
culty is that the herd objects to having cattle and sheep on the 
same hirsell ; but in a great many instances this objection 
arises chiefly from his not liking the trouble of herding them 
apart. It is tolerably clear, however, that there are fewer 
deaths from braxey amongst sheep when they are kept clear of 
cattle than when both kinds of stock run together. 
On the question of winter keep, again, depends the system 
adopted by different farmers for disposing of the produce of their 
breeding herds. Two systems prevail in Argyllshire, one being 
to sell yearling stot stirks in the spring, and the other to sell six- 
quarter stot stirks in the autumn. With sufficient winter keep, 
it is doubtless more profitable to pursue the former plan, and 
keep a larger number of cows ; but if there is not much natural 
hay at command, it is better to keep fewer cows, and hold on the 
stirks to help in the consumption of the grass in the summer. 
Heifers are kept on until they are three years old, when the best 
of them go into the herd to replace the cast cows. A good cow 
will be kept on for about five seasons, or occasionally six, before 
she is sold with the culled heifers at the October trysts. 
Such being the salient points in Highland cattle-farming, I 
shall now endeavour to illustrate the more important subject of 
Hill Sheep-farming by the following description of a large hill- 
farm on the side of Loch Lomond. 
Ben Lomond. 
It is needless to describe the geographical position of this farm, 
because both the Ben and the Loch are " familiar in our mouths 
as household words ;" its extent, however, needs a word of expla- 
nation. Ben Lomond alone would seem big enough for a farm, 
and a few acres to spare ; but it does not maintain more than one- 
tenth of the whole stock kept on the one about to be described, 
which extends for about 8 miles along the loch side, commencing 
behind Ross Point, and stretching northwards ^ast Rob Roy's 
Prison, towards Inversnaid. Its breadth in an inland direction 
varies up to a maximum of 5 or 6 miles, including Craig Rostan 
along the loch side, Ben Lomond, Ben Uird, Cruinn-a-Bheinn 
(Crunevine), and other heights, of which Ben Lomond is the 
chief, with an elevation of 3192 feet. The picturesque farm- 
house, known as " Blairvockie," is situated nearly at the southern 
extremity of the farm, perched a little above the high road 
leading from Rowardennan to Balmaha, and looking over the 
plantation on Ross Point across the loch to Luss. A valuable 
adjunct to this large extent of "hill" is a "field" of about 
P 2 
