In Scotland there is an area of nearly eleven million acres which is classed as “ Rough Grazing.” Not all of this vast acreage is suitable for the grazing of cattle, nor can the hand of man ever make it so; much is between 2,000-4,000 feet above sea-level where, by a combination of height, climate and lack of shelter, cattle do not normally range. Other parts consist mostly of rock and scree and grow such scanty herbage that even the blackface ewe visits them but occasionally. Nevertheless, there are vast areas in Scotland which can maintain large herds of breeding cows of a hardy type. As an incentive to farmers to stock such land with cattle, a yearly sum of £7 is paid for every cow kept throughout the year on this type of land. This same sum is also paid to Scottish farmers for every cow kept on what are classed as “ Upland “ farms. These farms may be said to embrace all those that are in receipt of assistance under the Marginal Production scheme. The total area of all farms so assisted during 1948 was 300,000 acres. Here then is another considerable area where the production of beef cattle should be developed to no small extent. It is a fact, however, that dairying has been, and will continue to be, one of the main operations on many of these upland or marginal farms. Some of them actually go in for the production and sale of milk, but the majority concentrate on the rearing of young dairy stock. There is a tendency for some of these farmers to turn from the dairy side of their business and develop to a greater extent the production of beef store cattle. The inducement of a yearly payment of £7 per cow is largely responsible for such a change, as no payment is made for any cows kept for the production and sale of milk, although a dairy type of animal rearing a calf or calves would be eligible.
