AGRICULTURE IN SCOTLAND. 
263 
connected with the cutter, by a simple contrivance. 
There are appropriate shelters for carts and imple¬ 
ments, convenient store-rooms, &c. In the centre 
is a small steam-engine of six-horse power, which 
drives the threshing apparatus in the outside 
building. The grain falls from the threshing ma¬ 
chine directly into a fanning-mill, which separates 
the awns and light seeds; by a set of small iron 
buckets revolving upon a leather band, it is then 
raised and delivered into a second, and finally a 
third winnowing machine, from which it comes 
forth beautifully clean. Another set of deliverers 
take the chaff to the room above, where the un¬ 
threshed grain is first introduced, to pass once 
more through and thus prevent all loss. All of 
this machinery is worked by the engine, and much 
ingenuity is shown in dispensing with manual 
labor. The steam also cooks and steams the food 
for the stock. Mr. F. estimates its fuel to cost 
about £5 a year. A large walled space in the 
centre of the quadrangle is devoted to the reception 
of manure from the stables, piggeries, &c. The 
stock-yard still presents a goodly show of last 
year’s products. The frames upon which the 
stacks stand are all numbered, to the amount 
of seventy-five. This must be very convenient, 
especially with crops, the results of experiment. 
Division of Land and Course of Cropping .— 
Our attention was next occupied by the farm 
itself. It consists of 1200 acres—600 of arable 
and 600 of pasture land. The arable land is 
again divided into infield and outfield. The infield 
is long cultivated land, and capable of producing 
all kinds of crops; while the outfield is lighter, 
and more recently reclaimed, the soil being thin in 
many places. Upon the former a five, and on the 
latter a six years’ rotation is followed. Upon the 
infield it is: 1. Potatoes ; 2. Wheat; 3 and 4. Grass; 
5. Oats. Upon the outfield, turneps are substituted 
for potatoes ; barley and oats for wheat; and three 
instead of two years, grass. 
The Crops .— These, the present year, are about 
40 acres of wheat, 40 of potatoes, 200 of barley 
and oats, and 70 of turneps. The wheat gives 
promise of a good yield. It is-sown broadcast, 
drilling having been given up, because the weeds 
upon those fields are actually exterminated. Of 
the potatoes, 20 acres are in one field. The supe¬ 
riority of those manured with guano was here 
most evident. Those, however, where a half 
manuring, or 20 loads of farm-yard dung and 300 
lbs. of guano per (Scotch) acre were applied, 
looked better than those wholly manured by guano. 
I was struck with the beautiful accuracy of the 
potato drills. It was too early in the season to 
decide upon the yield of the oat and barley crops. 
The oat straw will be short, owing to the exces¬ 
sive drought of the early summer. The turneps 
were undergoing the first thinning and looked very 
well. The amount of this crop now raised is truly 
enormous. One dealer in Haddington, about 
twenty miles from Edinburgh, says that he has 
this year sold 50,000 lbs. of seed, intended to sow 
18,000 acres. 
All of these crops on this farm are the subject 
of varied experiments in application of almost all 
substances used as manure, in variable quantity 
and every imaginable way. One barley field is 
the subject of nearly thirty different applications 
of steeps. In another out field, are twenty-three 
kinds of top dressing. These are instances, and 
it would be useless for me now to enumerate more, 
as the results will undoubtedly be published. 
These experiments seem to be all conducted with 
great care and rigorous accuracy, vital requisites 
in such matters. If such varied researches are 
successfully carried out, Mr. Finnie, in taking upon 
himself the vast amount of attention and labor ne¬ 
cessary, will confer a benefit not only upon him¬ 
self, but upon the agricultural community, the 
importance of which can hardly be estimated. 
The arable land of this farm, with but few ex¬ 
ceptions, is thoroughly drained. Tiles are used 
and by putting them in of very large sizes, even 
the ditches are covered and the fields are cultivated 
close to the hedges and fences, saving land which 
elsewhere is a nursery for weeds. Those weeds 
which the plough and spade can not reach are 
picked out by hand, at from one to two pence per 
six lineal yards. All the vegetable matter thus 
obtained is formed into compost heaps and more 
than repays the expense of collecting. 
The pasture land of the farm is chiefly upon the 
Pentland hills, and will sustain about 5000 sheep. 
Upon this, improvements are going on, by irriga¬ 
tion in some places and draining in others. Lime 
will probably be of much benefit, for although the 
farm lies upon a Zeolitic Trap, the decomposition 
of which affords a certain quantity of lime, yet 
there is not enough to maintain the proper supply 
necessary for tne soil. 
Manure. —Every possible means for the collec¬ 
tion of manure is adopted. A portion of the grass 
land is let to some persons from Edinburgh, in 
order that they may keep a dairy of 24 cows 
thereon. Their manure carefully preserved, adds 
materially to the supply. In addition to this, and 
all the manure from his own stables and compost 
heaps, Mr. Finnie told me that he annually paid 
about £250 for manure from Edinburgh, giving 
from three to four pounds for the manure of a sin¬ 
gle cow. As much rnore is paid for the portable 
manures, such as guano, nitrate of soda, bone-dust, 
&c., making a total of about $2,500 per annum; 
this too by a tenant farmer, one who has his rent 
and a high one to pay. Nothing can be more con¬ 
clusive as to the profit as well as the benefit of 
liberal manuring. 
The Grounds. —Notwithstanding his numerous 
avocations, Mr. Finnie has not neglected the adorn¬ 
ing of the grounds about his house. The hedges 
are at least 10 feet in height and beautifully trim¬ 
med; there is a pretty garden here also, and the 
house is surrounded by fine trees. The view of 
the Frith of Forth and of the city of Edinburgh 
from this place is beautiful. We left Swanston 
delighted and instructed by our visit, for we saw 
there a model of good order and progressive im¬ 
provement ; not that it is perfect, for many things 
are yet to be done; but there is everywhere visible 
the triumph of mind over matter—a combination 
of enterprise with prudence—of intelligence free 
from prejudice—of industry and skill. 
John P. Norton. 
