Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 67, No. 411, January 1850 - Various

No. VI.

Valuation of Produce, and Expense of Management of a Farm of 320 Scots acres, situated within five miles of Edinburgh, on an average of seven years previous to potato failure in 1846, and farmed according to the four-shift rotation, the straw being sold in Edinburgh, and dung bought. The produce is a fair average of the best-managed farms within five miles of Edinburgh, during the period from which the average is taken. The prices noted are what were realised, being about 3s. 6d. per qr. above the average prices of the county, and the expense of management charged is what was actually paid.

Acres.			£	s.	d.
50	Potatoes, at £17 per acre,	850	0	0
30	Turnip, at £16 per do.,	480	0	0
50	Wheat, 5 qrs. per acre, at 58s. per qr.,	725	0	0
30	Barley, 7 do. do., at 34s. do.,	357	0	0
50	Pasture, let at £4 per Scots acre,	200	0	0
30	Hay, at £7 per do.,	210	0	0
80	Oats, 7¹⁄₂ qrs. per acre, at 26s. per qr.,	780	0	0
320
	Produce of straw sold,	450	0	0
	Manure made on the farm from horses, &c.,	80	0	0
	Value of produce,	4132	0	0
	Expense of management,	4025	17	6
	Profit,	£106	2	6

[We ought, perhaps, to explain that this case is peculiar. It is that of a first-class farm in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, attested by men of the same standing as its tenant, and similarly situated; the average of the produce is very high, and the rent corresponding. Mr Gibson, the tenant farmer, has taken the details of the following statement from his books; so that it becomes of much value, as showing the statistics of farming in the immediate vicinity of the metropolis of Scotland. In estimating the productiveness of this farm by the extent of the yield, our English readers must bear in mind, that it is divided by the Scots and not the imperial acre as in the other estimates, the former being one-fifth larger. It will be allowed, on all hands, that the yield of this farm is extraordinary.]

Acres.			£	s.	d.
S
e	50	Potatoes, at £2 per Scots acre,	100	0	0
e	30	Turnip, at 4s. per do,	6	0	0
d	50	Wheat, 23 qrs. at 60s.,	69	0	0
	30	Barley, 14 qrs. at 35s.,	24	10	0
f	50	Pasture, at 17s. per acre,	42	10	0
o	30	Hay, at 15s. per do.,	22	10	0
r	80	Oats, at 40 qrs. at 28s.,	56	0	0
	320
		50 acres potatoes, 34 tons per acre, horse and cow manure driven from Edinburgh, at 6s. per ton,	510	0	0
		30 acres turnip, 30 tons do., at 4s. per ton,	180	0	0
		Keep of 15 horses, at £28 per annum,	420	0	0
		Do. of 1 riding horse, do.,	28	0	0
		Wages of farm overseer, per annum,	32	0	0
		Do. 8 ploughmen, at £27 per do.,	216	0	0
		Do. 2 labourers at 10s., and 1 boy at 5s. per week,	65	0	0
		Outdoor women-workers per annum,	165	0	0
		Reaping 160 acres corn crop, at 12s. per acre,	96	0	0
		Wages of extra men securing crop,	13	0	0
		Cutting 30 acres hay, at 3s. 9d.,	5	12	6
		Cutting hedges, and keeping fences, gates, and houses in repair,	10	0	0
		Smith work, per annum,	35	0	0
		Carpenter work, do.,	22	0	0
		Veterinary surgeon, do.,	7	0	0
		Saddler work, do.,	17	0	0
		Millwright, engineer, mason, and slater's accounts,	10	0	0
		Coals for steam-engine, and steaming and bruising horse food,	12	0	0
		Annual loss on live and dead stock, from death and tear and wear,	90	0	0
		Tolls, custom, and marketing expenses,	25	0	0
		Insurance,	6	0	0
		Poor-rates and statute-labour, previous to passing of New Poor Law,	30	17	0
		Assessed taxes and income tax,	19	18	0
		Interest on £1500 capital, sunk in permanent improvements, at 10 per cent,	150	0	0
		Interest on floating capital of £2000, at 5 per cent,	100	0	0
		Rent of 320 Scots acres, at £4 10s. per acre,	1440	0	0
		Expense of management,	£4025	17	6

Valuation of Produce and Expenses of Management of the same Farm, for Crop 1849: as the Wheat crop is considered to be the best we have had in the district since 1835, every allowance is made for this in estimating the produce. The Oat, Barley, and Bean crops are under an average, but are charged at average quantities; the prices noted are what are being realised. In the expense of management full allowance is made in every item affected by present prices, except the seed, which is charged as paid for at seed time: had it been charged at present prices, there would fall to be deducted from expense of management a sum of £28.

Acres.
25	Potatoes, supposing them to be sound, at £20,	500	0	0
35	Turnips, at £14,	490	0	0
20	Beans, 5 qrs. per acre, at 26s. per qr.,	130	0	0
45	Wheat, 6 qrs. per acre, at 38s. per qr.	513	0	0
35	Barley, 7 qrs. per acre, at 23s. per qr.,	281	15	0
50	Pasture, let at £4 per acre,	200	0	0
30	Hay, at £5, 10s. per acre,	165	0	0
80	Oats, 7¹⁄₂ qrs. per acre, at 18s. per qr.,	540	0	0
320
	Produce of straw, sold, at present prices,	400	0	0
	Manure made on the Farm,	70	0	0
	Value of Produce,	£3,289	15	0
	Expense of Management,	3,786	14	0
	Loss,	£496	19	0
	Annual Profit previous to 1846,	£106	2	6
	Loss incurred by difference of price under free-trade,	£603	1	6

Acres.
S	25	Potatoes, at £4 per Scots acre,	100	0	0
E	35	Turnips, at 5s. per acre,	8	15	0
E	20	Beans, 12¹⁄₂ qrs., at 34s., per qr., price, at seed time,	21	5	0
D	45	Wheat, 20 qrs., at 62s., do.,	62	0	0
	35	Barley, 17¹⁄₂ qrs., at 33s., do.,	28	17	6
F	50	Pasture, at 14s. per acre, do.,	35	0	0
O	30	Hay, at 12s. do., do.,	18	0	0
R	80	Oats, 40 qrs., at 22s. per qr., do.,	44	0	0
	320
		25 acres potatoes, 30 tons per acre, horse and cow manure, driven from Edinburgh, at 5s. per ton,	187	10	0
		20 acres beans, 20 tons manure per acre, at 5s. per ton,	100	0	0
		35 acres turnips, 25 tons do., at 3s. 6d. per ton,	153	2	6
		Guano and other extra manures applied to turnip, potato, and other crops,	125	0	0
		Keep of 15 horses, at £22 per annum,	330	0	0
		Keep of 1 riding horse, do.,	22	0	0
		Wages of farm overseer, per annum,	30	0	0
		Do. 8 ploughmen, at £25 per do.,	200	0	0
		Do. 2 labourers, at 9s. each, and 1 boy 5s. per week,	59	16	0
		Outdoor women workers, per annum,	165	0	0
		Reaping 160 acres corn crop, at 10s. 6d. per acre,	84	0	0
		Wages of extra men securing crop,	12	0	0
		Cutting 30 acres hay, at 3s. per acre,	4	10	0
		Cutting hedges, and keeping fences, gates, and houses in repair,	10	0	0
		Smith work, per annum,	35	0	0
		Carpenter's work, do.,	22	0	0
		Veterinary surgeon, do.,	7	0	0
		Saddler work, do.,	17	0	0
		Millwright, engineer, mason, and slater's accounts,	10	0	0
		Coals for steam engine, and steaming and bruising horses' food,	10	0	0
		Annual loss on live and dead stock, from death and tear and wear,	90	0	0
		Tolls, custom, and marketing expenses,	25	0	0
		Insurance,	6	0	0
		Poor rates and statute labour under New Poor Law,	54	0	0
		Assessed taxes and income tax,	19 18	0
		Interest on £1500 capital, sunk in permanent improvements, at 10 per cent,	150	0	0
		Interest on floating capital of £2000, at 5 per cent,	100	0	0
		Rent of 320 acres, at £4, 10s. per acre,	1,440	0	0
		Expenses of Management,	£3,786	14	0

JOHN GIBSON,
Woolmet, 18th December 1849.
{John Finnie, Swanston.
Attested by {George Watson, Libberton Mains.
{Alexander Scott, Craiglockhart.