Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 17.djvu/913

Rh ORKNEY AND SHETLAND 847 January, February, and March being nearly 39, and for the warmest months July, August, and September about 53. Though fogs are common, the rainfall is not excess ive, but it is higher in Shetland than in Orkney. As the temperature is influenced by the Gulf Stream, the coldest month of the year is March, when the tide reaches its lowest point. The soil of Orkney varies in different islands, but generally it is either a sandy loam or a strong but friable clay, and remarkably fertile. Large quantities of seaweed, as well as lime and marl, are available for manure. Since the opening up of more constant communication with the south, and the construction of a complete system of roads, begun in 1857, the system of cultivation has undergone a complete transformation. Many of the holdings in Orkney are now occupied by farmers from Scotland. Between 1875 and 1880 the number of holdings in Orkney in creased from 3147 to 3319, and their area from 93,618 acres to 104,958. In 1880 2873 holdings, or more than two -thirds of the total number, did not exceed 50 acres each, while 279 ranged from 50 to 100 acres, 131 from 100 to 300, and 36 were above 300. The total number of acres under cultivation in 1883 was 112,148, of which 38,459 were under corn crops, 32,051 rotation grasses, 22,755 permanent pasture, and 1031 fallow. Of the corn crops, 32 781 acres were under oats and 5641 under barley or bere, while 14,387 of the green crops were under turnips and 3104 under potatoes Horses, which are for the most part a small and active breed, numbered 6092 in 1883, of which 4884 were used solely for agricul tural purposes. Cattle numbered 25,624, of which 9405 were cows and heifers in milk or in calf. Shorthorned and polled Angus are now the most common breeds, cattle-feeding being largely practised. Sheep, which in 1883 numbered 31,548, are now chiefly Cheviots and a cross between them and Leicesters, but the native sheep (identical with those of Shetland) are still kept in considerable numbers in Hoy and South Ronaldshay. Pigs numbered 4745. In Shetland there has been no agricultural progress corresponding to that in operation in Orkney, the principal reason being insuffi ciency of soil, which in many cases has to be made or increased by collecting turf. Between 1875 and 1880 the number of holdings decreased from 3839 to 3604, but the area under cultivation increased from 52,256 to 58,357 acres. In 1880 3529 holdings did not exceed 50 acres each, while 36 ranged from 50 to 100 acres, 30 from 100 to 300, and 11 were above 300. Although there are some good arable farms in a few favoured districts, the majority are small crofts held on a yearly tenancy by the fishermen along with their cottages. For the most part the cottages are only slightly improved specimens of the original cabin, the fireplace of at least the &amp;lt;: but&quot; end being in the centre of the apartment, which was formerly shared with calves, pigs, and other young animals. The cows are now for the most part housed in separate buildings. Originally the rent was paid in kind, and it was a general custom for the landlord or tacksman to compel the crofter to barter a considerable portion of the fruits of his industry for provisions and clothing, and the prac tice is not yet quite obsolete in certain districts. The cottages are generally grouped together in small hamlets called &quot;touns.&quot; The size of a croft varies from 5 to 10 acres ; but the old Norwegian measurement by merks is still retained. Originally the land was held on the &quot;runrig&quot; system that is, different owners held alter nate ridges but now in most cases each holding is separate, The implement anciently used for turning over the soil was the Nor wegian plough drawn by four oxen abreast, but as the holdings became subdivided and distinctly separated from each other it was superseded by the small sharp spade now in almost universal use Until lately implements with wheels were scarcely known, and even yet the crofters generally carry out even the manure for the land in straw baskets slung over the shoulders. A system of roads was constructed during the potato famine of 1846-49, and wheeled vehicles are in general use in the neighbourhood of Lerwick and various other places. According to the agricultural returns of 1883 there were 58,393 acres under cultivation, of which 10,528 were under corn crops, 4511 green crops, and 41,628 permanent pasture. No system of rotation is practised. Of the corn crops 8050 acres were under oats and 2478 under bere ; and of the green crops 3357 acres were under potatoes and 943 iinder turnips. Originally the grain supplies were obtained almost wholly from the Orkneys, and for a long periol grey and black oats and bere or bigg were the only species grown, but now white oats are quite common. Frequently the grain docs not ripen till the end of October or beginning of November. The culture of the cabbage is said to have been intro duced by a detachment of Cromwell s soldiers, potatoes in 1730, and turnips in 1807. Black and red currants ripen in sheltered situations. Horses in 1883 numbered 5305, of which only 908 were used solely for agricultural purposes ; cattle numbered 21,345, of which 8132 were cows and heifers in milk or in calf; sheep numbered 81,163, and pigs 3788. The small ponies peculiar to the islands are now becoming scarce, though entire ponies are greatly in demand for working underground in collieries. The native cattle are a diminu tive breed with small horns and short legs. They are said to possess many of the points of the best breeds. The beef is remarkable for tenderness and flavour ; and, when well fed, the cows yield a large supply of rich milk. In some districts crosses have been intro duced The native sheep of Shetland possess many of the charac teristics of goats. The ewes, as well as the rams, have generally short horns, and the wool is long and of very fine quality. &quot;White, black, speckled grey, and a peculiar russet brown called &quot;moorat&quot; are the prevailing colours It is the common custom to tear out the wool from the roots by the hand, as this is said to ensure a finer second crop. A few black-faced and Cheviot sheep are kept in some places. The Shetland pigs, which are very inferior, are often fed on fish. Large numbers of geese and poultry are kept. 1 According to the Valuation Roll, 1883-84, Orkney was divided among 1149 proprietors, possessing 220,873 acres, with an annual value of about 82,416, or 7s 5d per acre. According to the Parlia mentary Return of 1873 546 of the proprietors, or about 42 per cent, at that date, possessed less than 1 acre, and the following 10 pos sessed upwards of 5000 acres each : J, G, M. Heddle, 50,410 ; earl of Zetland, 29,846 ; D. Balfour, 29,054 ; R. Baikie, 7846 ; H. C. Hebden, 7500 ; F. T. Burroughs, 6693 ; A. S. Graeme, 6444 ; trustees of late J. Stuart of Brugh, 6243 ; T. Traill, 5780 ; trustees of the late G. Traill, 5031. Shetland in 1883-84 was divided among 575 proprietors, possessing 352,876 acres, with a total value of 44,108, or nearly 2s 6d per acre. In 1873 240 of the proprietors, or about 45 per cent., possessed less than 1 acre, 15 possessed upwards of 5000 acres, 13 above 10,000, and the following 5 above 20,000 acres each, trustees of Busta estate, 29,820 ; curators of AY. A. Bruce, 25,180; Lady Nicolson, 24,785; T. M. Cameron, 24,363; A. G. Grierson, 22,006. Fauna. The faunas of the two groups of islands are very similar. Eemains of deer have been found in the Orkneys, although few, if any, remained in the time of the Norse jarls. For some centuries hares were extinct, but they were reintroduced about 1830. Rabbits are very numerous in some districts. The otter and walrus are met with. Seals may occasionally be observed basking on the rocks, especially in the neighbourhood of the Ve Skerries off the western coast of the Mainland (Shetlands) ; and whales, both large and small, are frequently captured in the bays and sounds. The common porpoise is abundant, and the grampus also haunts the coasts. Nearly all the Falconidse, found anywhere else in Britain at one time frequented the Orkneys, and the hen-harrier, the merlin, the pere grine, and the sparrow-hawk are still numerous. The short-eared owl is common, and various other species occasionally haunt the islands. The raven, the Royston crow, the rook, and the jackdaw are all met with. The red grouse, the golden plover, the dotterel plover, and the grey plover are abundant in some districts. The snipe, the woodcock, the common heron, the curlew, the little bittern, the white stork, the white spoonbill, the knot, the ruff, and the common coot frequent the more remote regions. There is an immense variety of water-fowl, Most of the singing birds found in Scotland are either natives or occasional visitants. The great skua gull still breeds in the island of Foula, where its eggs are carefully preserved. Flora. Although the Orkneys contain some plants which are rare in the British Isles, the flora of the group is much smaller in variety than that of the more mountainous Shetlands. For lists the reader is referred to the paper on the flora of the Orkneys by W. Irvine Fortescue, and that on the flora of Shetland by Dr Peter White, both contained in Tudor s Orkneys and Shetland, 1883. Manufactures. According to Barry the woollen manufacture was at one time of some importance in the Orkneys, but by the end of last century had been superseded by that of linen, introduced about 1747. For the manufacture flax was at one time largely grown. After the introduction of machinery in the south it was no longer possible to continue the manufacture with profit, and, although straw-plaiting for a time took its place, it also succumbed to southern competition, Next to the linen trade the most important industry in the 18th century was the manufacture of kelp, introduced in 1722. With the abolition of the duty on Spanish barilla the manufacture for a time suffered severely, but of late years it has revived and now yields about 1500 annually. It is, however, chiefly on agriculture that the Orkneys depend, and their rapid pro gress in this respect has been greatly facilitated by the very ample steam communication by three different routes with Scotland, Since 1871 tele&quot;raphic communication has extended to Unst, the most northerlyof the Shetland group. Straw-plaiting was at one time practised in Shetland, but kelp-making is no longer practised. The staple manufacture is knitted goods. According to Edmonston, 1 Interesting information, not yet altogether out of date, on the agriculture of the Orkneys will be found in a paper by R. 0. Pringle, and on that of the Shetlands in papers by H. Evershed and R. S. Skirving in the Trans, of the Htrjhland and Agricultural Society, 1874.