212 Report on some featuers of Scottish Agriculture. 
1000 acres of low-lyino: moorland at Buchanan, near the seat of 
the Duke of Montrose, behind Balmaha. This field is used 
chiefly for wintering hoggs ; but it is not by any means extensive 
enough for the requirements of the farm, which have to be met 
by renting additional " hogging land " of farmers in the neigh- 
bourhood. The occupation finally includes about 80 acres of 
arable land and 40 acres of meadow, and an island on Loch 
Lomond, which is principally reserved for the rams in close 
time and during the winter ; and the whole is held by Mr. 
D uncan Mitchell, under the Duke of Montrose, at an annual 
rental of 1030/. per annum. 
Arable and Meadoav Land. 
The small quantity of tillage land held by Mr. Mitchell is 
farmed with a view of supplying the winter requirements of the 
5000 sheep, 40 or 50 beasts, and half-dozen horses kept on the 
whole occupation. The meadow land is partly tile-drained, and 
it occasionally receives a dressing of compost, consisting of farm- 
yard-manure and old turf-fences, with anything else that can be 
scraped together. On an average, it will yield about one ton of 
dry hay per imperial acre. Its chief use is to provide winter 
food for the sheep on the north side of Ben Lomond, in hard 
winters, wiien their natural provender is scarce, or inaccessible 
on account of snow. Under such circumstances they are fed 
with meadow hay, in the lower grounds, for two or even three 
months ; and in the event of their not requiring the whole or any 
part of this reserve food, it is kept for Highland cattle the ensuing 
season. The number of cattle annually bought depends entirely 
upon the quantity of unconsumed meadow hay of the previous 
season. The first desire is to secure as much as possible of that 
valuable food, in case it should be required for sheep in hard 
winters, its consumption by cattle the ensuing season being a 
comparatively subordinate consideration. During the past winter 
(1870-71), in consequence of a very heavy fall of snow, the sheep 
on two " hirsels," were kept for a considerable time on hay ; and 
on almost the whole of the remainder of the farm during that 
time they lived principally on heath, which is an extremely 
useful herbage for them during snow. A clause in Mr. Mitchell's 
lease enacts " one-sixth of the heathy surface to be burned annu- 
ally, and the whole to be burned over in six years ;" but it has 
not been insisted on, as it is known that heath is valuable at a 
much more advanced age. 
About two-thirds of the arable land is kept in seeds, so that 
not more than 25 acres are under the plough, two-thirds of that 
breadth being in oats, and the remainder either in turnips or 
