138 
STATE AGEICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 
together at the fine old residence of Mr. Grey, one of the most successful of 
the many superior farmers of the Lothians. 
At first it seemed incredible that any one should be able to pay a rent of 
$60 per acre for land and yet handsomely support a large and expensive 
family and still have a considerable surplus for bank deposits. But, on 
learning Mr. G.’s method of agriculture—his thorough manuring of his soil 
and crops, the fine system of rotation, by which he always keeps the soil in 
heart, and his superior management of stock, making the most economical 
use of roots, potatoes, cabbage and of much that is usually thrown away— 
when I learned in short that nothing was lost and ever} thing was skillfully 
turned to the best possible account and put into market at the best possible 
time, it became easy to figure up the profits even in spite of such rents. 
This was a farm especially adapted to grain and root crops, not so profitable 
as some of the meadow farms which receive a rental of £50 (1260) and yet 
by means of four and five magnificent crops of grass, made possible by drain¬ 
age with sewerage water, pay still larger returns to the lessee. * * * 
After tea, a stroll in the fruit and fiower garden—^just enough to satisfy me 
that the farmers of Lothian knowhow to provide themselves with the luxuries 
as well as the necessaries of life—and then a return on foot past Salisbury 
Craigs and Arthurs’s seat—craggy elevations of much local interest—to the 
city, delighted and instructed by our rambles. 
Under the further guidance of my excellent friend, I have seen the objects 
of chief interest in Edinburgh—the interior of the Castle—the ancient 
houses of Parliament, now occupied as court rooms—the world-famed Uni¬ 
versity—the Industrial Museum, where may be seen all the varieties of stone, 
wood, agricultural implements and agricultural products of Scotland—the 
great agricultural warehouse of Messrs. Lawson, the most distinguished 
seedsmen of the United Kingdom—the magnificent monument to Scott, an 
exquisitely wrought Gothic Tabernacle of stone 150 feet high, with a fine 
Statue of Sir Walter in the sitting posture within—the beautiful streets, pub¬ 
lic squares and historic statues of the new city—and last of all glimpses of 
Leith, the port on the Firth beyond. 
There are 70 printing establishments here, turning out 20 periodicals and 
reviews, some of them, as the Edinburgh Review and Blackwood's Magazine^ 
noted the word over for their ability, 26 daily and weekly newspapers; while 
in book-making Edinburgh surpasses every other city of its size in the world. 
To-morrow I shall leave for the Highlands, tarrying for a while amid the 
scenery made classic by Scotts’ incomparable Lady of the Lake. 
' EDINBURGH TO GLASGOW BY THE TROSACHS. 
I am ticketed for Callender via Sterling, and already the grey old city of 
centuries is behind me. We wind through the beautiful narrow valleys and 
pierce the opposing hills. Tunnels common. John Bull isn’t to be baffled. 
Sterling! with its castle-crowned hill, winding streets and ancient shops 
and dwellings. The original was Stryveling, suggested by the fact that here, 
in the fierce feudel times Scot strove with Piet, clan with clan, and 
Scotch with English, until the spot was henceforth famous as a battle ground. 
I stand upon its battlements. What a magnificent prospect I Nothing 
could surpass it. To the northward and westward are the Grampion moun¬ 
tains, the noble peaks of Benlomond, Benledi and Benvoirlich rising majes¬ 
tic above the rest; Gartmore House and the house of Cardlross, the scene of 
the old legend of Sir James the Rose; and the villages of Craigforth, Meik- 
lewood and Blair Drummond. A right-about-face brings under the eye a pic¬ 
ture less grand but none the less inspiring and beautiful. The Forth with 
its silver stream, threads the fertile valley; there are the villages of Ninians 
and the Sterling bridges ; about us lie the Gowlan Hills. * * 
***** * -X- The cars again. The 
railway lies in the valley of tHe Forth and the journey Is made delightfully 
exciting by scenes of historic and legendry interest. At Callandar we leave 
the railway and take our place—those of us who propose a tour in the Tro- 
sachs—in an old fashioned stage coach. I want to see everything by the 
way and so take a seat on top. Callander is soon left behind and now by a 
