BANFFSHIRE, a county in the north of Scot land, having the Murray Firth on the Aber deenshire on the east and south, and the county of Moray on the west, is situate in the 58th degree of north latitude, and contains 647 square miles, or, without including a small space covered by water, 412,800 English acres. Along the coast, for about 30 miles, the soil consists chiefly of sand and loam, and is in many instances well cultivated ; but, with the exception of this tract, Banffshire is a hilly, and, towards the south, a mountainous district, though many fertile valleys are interspersed ; and there is much valuable grazing land, well sheltered with na tural wood, on the banks of its streams, and in its romantic glens. The Spey, one of the most consi derable rivers in Scotland, which flows on its western boundary, and the Deveron on its eastern, to both of which a number of rivulets are tributary, yield a con siderable revenue from their salmon-fishings,--the former, according to the agriculturdl survey in 1812, upwards of L. 6000, and the latter about L. 2000 yearly. In the lower part of the country, towards the coast, there are several magnificent buildings, of which Duff House, the principal seat of the family of Fife, Cullen House, the seat of the Earl of Find later and Seafield, and Gordon Castle, the most princely mansion in the north of 'Scotland, are the most conspicuous. Around these, and a great num ber of gentlemen's seats in the interior, the planta tions are extensive and .ornamental ; but the extent and the value of the natural woods is inconsiderable.
Calcareous substances in the form of marble, lime-1 stone, and marl, abound, yet, owing to the want of coals, the greater part of the lime used on the lands near the coast is brought from Sunderland. The other minerals most worthy of notice are freestone, granite, slate, brick-clay, to which must be added the rock-crystals and topazes, found on the moun tain of Cairngorm, and other parts of that elevated range which forms the southern and western boun daries of Banffshire. In summer 1811, L. 2000 worth of these stones were found; and in some instances to the value of L. 200 in one day. Cudbear or cup
moss, though certainly a vegetable substance, may be mentioned along with minerals, from its growing only in rocky mountainous situations. Its use in dyeing purple, after undergoing a simple preparation, is said to have been discovered by Mr Gordon, a gentleman of the parish of Kirkmichael in this county, before the year 1755. In 1808 and 1809 about L.500 worth of it, gathered on the mountains of Banffshire, and those adjoining in Aberdeenshire, was purchased for the manufactures of Glasgow.
Neither the climate nor the soil of this county, except along the coast, is favourable to extensive aration ; the subsoil of the higher grounds being in general retentive of moisture, and grain very late in ripening. Only about a fourth part of its contents is considered to be at all fit for tillage. Almost all the crops usually cultivated in Scotland have, how ever, gained a firm footing here, though oats occupy by far the greatest proportion of the arable surface. In this, as in the other northern counties, the cnief 4 dependence of the husbandman is on his live stock ; and there being comparatively few sheep, the te nantry look to their cattle as the great fund for pay ing rents and all other charges.
Farms are generally so small as scarcely to deserve the name, most of the land being parcelled out into holdings of less than 80 acres ; and the management is but too often incorrect and unproductive. For what improvements have been made in its agricul ture, this district is much indebted to one of the Earls of Findlater, who, so early as 1754, not only introduced and exhibited on sonic of his own farms the most approved practices then known in Eng land, but held out liberal encouragement to his te nants to follow his example. The valued rent is L.79,200 Scots ; and in 1811, according to the assess ment to the Property Tax, the real gross rent of the lands was L. 79,396, 3s. 4d., and of the houses L. 5514, 2s. Sterling. The valuation of estates held under entail is more than a half of the whole.