Clackmannan and Kinross . rasses occupy more than two-thirds of thearable land, the remaining third being utilised for rootcrops, beans, wheat or barley. The soil south of theOchil fault varies from a stiff clay to a sandy loam,the heavier soils being near the Forth, and the lighter,drier soils on the higher ground. In many places, how-ever, the soil is peaty, and this accounts for the extensivecultivation of oats, since this crop, like potatoes, is moretolerant of extreme amounts of acid humus in the soil. Before the close of the eighteenth centur)-, theagriculture of the county was carried o
Clackmannan and Kinross . rasses occupy more than two-thirds of thearable land, the remaining third being utilised for rootcrops, beans, wheat or barley. The soil south of theOchil fault varies from a stiff clay to a sandy loam,the heavier soils being near the Forth, and the lighter,drier soils on the higher ground. In many places, how-ever, the soil is peaty, and this accounts for the extensivecultivation of oats, since this crop, like potatoes, is moretolerant of extreme amounts of acid humus in the soil. Before the close of the eighteenth centur)-, theagriculture of the county was carried on in a wretchedand wasteful manner. The holdings were so small as 40 CLACKMANNANSHIRE barely to furnisli a subsistence to the family of the tenant,who, unable to carry out draijiage operations on a suitablescale, found much of his cold, wet, and stiff clay soil notworth the trouble of working. Crude methods of culti-vation, the absence of fences, the abundance of whinsand weeds, miserable farm buildings and bad roads were. Harviestoun Castle among the causes which rendered the farmers existencepo\erty-stricken and precarious. The improvement whenit came, proceeded apace. The size of the farms wasincreased as leases expired, in Clackmannan parish thenumber of holdings was reduced by 40 in 20 years ;drainage and fencing were undertaken; in 1774, 300 AGRICULTURE 41 acres of common g;razinii; land iKloniiiiig; to the tcuarsof Tillicoultry were taken by agreement for enclosure ;thirlages and services were abolished ; a better rotationof crops was introduced. Led by such men as Tait ofHarviestoun, the county rapidly acquired a reputation forsuccessful farming ; a Farmers Society was established in1784 ; three years later the first effective thrashing machinein Scotland was erected at Kilbagie by George Meikle,the son of its celebrated inventor, both of whom residedat Alloa. In 179^ a plough and ploughman were sentfrom the county to give an exhibition at the Royal Farmat Windsor ; and
Size: 1845px × 1354px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidclackmannank, bookyear1915
