COUNTY AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Western Star, Issue 346, 24 April 1880, Page 7 (Supplement)

COUNTY AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

•;i - (Haddingtonshire ■ f So much has been heard of late about agricultural depression that it seems almost unnecessary to trouble you with anything farther on the snbjecE-E-it IPadmitted on all hands that things have; really- come to a very low ebb, and there is little prospect ©f the tide turning very soon. The past crop conld not turn out anything but badly from the continuous wet and cold weather, but it, is. even, worse—except jon the dry ©arly coast lands—than, one : could have looked for. Tn the .mid and upper disIricfs, even on. pretty good soils,; things Sfe terribly disappointing* while ; on; clays in many cases they. ; are . an utter failure,even although the grojipd is in good con- : ditiqn and throughly drained. The most disappointing Of the cerealsis barley, which fbr many years past has qftqn been -the most remunerative. - In many cases*,. even bn good soils, the yield is from two to three qrai per acre. Wheat is a' little better ,as to yield,- blit hot more than half a crop and bf-pSorquality. Turnips, except where early put in and on the best early soils, are a failure.. On the higher districts, where the crop is generally so good, it is all .but afailure. '■ . ’ j. . Potatoes in many cages are not , return-. mg much more: than the sped, .and the best, ©f them of, a size little better, than seconds.': We ’hear of,a few favored'farms -.round about Dunbar ; having. i yrofiietMfy-xgw& ■oops, quite as big.as,.;usual, but'elsewhere** even: on drysoils, ; theyr- areb -wretched,; while on claysihey;disappearedraltogether. < m iC&ttle and sheep > have been a ilittle: more ! easily; brought this autumn, and “where a' few'; turnips are to be had a little i profit may be realised, as beef; and mutton l is likely to be : selling swell--in spring j hut wheir all feeding materials have : to- be bought,- the . clear profits - becomeY sadlycurtailed. • ! ’

late there Have been an unparalleled number of displenishing sales in the county. Some of the farms have found npw tenants,, but in many eases proprietors; jhaye .been obliged to taketheminto their ,Owp hands -i-ho offerers coming forward. Those that have been let are of free soil, with good steadings* fence3,&e. -Nevertheless a reduction- to a very considerable extent has taken' place. „ItJs a well-known fact that. except o.u the- coast lands ("and, in some.cases there ■ too perhaps) the arable land, of East Lothian, as ; a; rule, is-much, overrented—the secondary class particu-: larly so. v We are sometimes .told that! it is the bady seasons,! and not the rents-at all that are at fault.;;. Well,. admitting-;that the seasons are not good,; should' not; the. rents be made to suit, lire ; seasons? nßents during the last twenty years have risen 20 to 40 per cent, pver, Scotland :; why should ; the value of the land not go with; the-times!?. and except for the nineteen years lease ,sp> prevalent, in Scotland. ;it .would.!,; • It.has. done so in England, where, the land is held from year, to year. .Still, no, improving farmer in. Scotland would like to rent land. m!this. way, unless he, had. tenant right,. as in. some of the English counties, where, it= isfound to work welj.- Many, of the.landr lords in the county have acted most hand r Spmely to. their tenantry in coming ; forr •ward and giving large, reductions .of rent. Some more would do so could they, afford it. Surely those who cry .so loudly against so milch land being ip- the bands of . one, proprietor will now. begin.to, .change their opinions on thaf point. How can a small proprietor who lives up to his income do justice to his property, or share to any extent the loss in this:years, sustained; by the tenantry. Neither are: the steadings,; fences, &c., kept in the same condition. The last penny is required, to keep the establishment going. ; j ;

'Winter 'has set in with a vengeaucej and farmers' are not prepared for it. A deal of Wheat land is still to seed; and a store of turnips is not provided for the stock. HSIP stock'are diuch 1 in need of an open winter. With-a severe whiter it is hard to say what the result may be.