RATHO MAINS
Ratho Mains ©
Early 19th century 2 storey 3 bay rectangular plan farmhouse. First shown on the 1828 map by T. Sharp, C. Greenwood and W. Fowler.
Additional farm for Ratho House.
This property at one time had a mill pond, a tunnel still exists carrying running water under the farm buildings, some 18 feet deep it emerges just west of Dalmahoy Road, continues eastwards and goes under the Ratho Park Golf Course to re emerge on the other side of the canal.
Ratho Mains ©
1833 John Melvin, Farmer.
1836 John Melvin.
Lane leading to Melvins Gate ©
1841 Census
John Melvin (60),
Elizabeth (55).
1851 Census
John Melvin (70), Farmer of 150 acres.
Gathering the sheaves ©
1855 John Orr Ewing let to John Melvin.
1861 Census
John Melvin (85), Farmer of 240 acres employing 9 men 4 boys and 15 women.
Charles (40).
Rolling silage ©
1864 John Orr Ewing let to C. Melvin.
1867 Oliver G. Miller let to C. Melvin.
1870 John Dougal let to J. Melvin.
1871 Mrs Charlotte Douglas farmhouse let to J. Melvin, farm to C. Melvin.
1871 Census
John Melvin (41), Farmer 245 acres all arable 7 labourers and 10 women.
1881 Census
John Hislop (42) Bank Clerk,
Emily (38) and their 6 children.
1891 Census
Peter Charleston (59), Farm Servant, wife and two children.
Binder ©
1903 James Barr, Farmer.
1921 Wm. Rennie, Farmer.
24th November 1954 Ian Logan Ronay Dougal sold Ratho Mains to James Calquhoun Rennie for £14,500.
November 1958 Peter Barry purchased the farm, moving his family and stock from his farm at Malcolmstone (between Ratho and Currie). The family possesions by tractor and trailer and the stock by herding them down the roads.
27th August 1963 Peter Charles Averill Berry sold a plot of land to Wm. Hutton for £360.
Ratho Mains ©
The farm consists of 232 acres and as required by all farmers returns have to be submitted to the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department twice yearly in June and December.
The following tables show how farming has changed over the last 40 years.
June 1960
|
Crops |
Acres |
Dairy Cattle |
|
|
Wheat
|
22½ |
Milkers |
25 |
|
Barley |
48½ |
Dry |
4 |
|
Oats |
15 |
In
calf heifer |
17 |
|
Potatoes |
33 |
1-2 years |
9 |
|
Turnip stock feed |
6½ |
Under 1 year |
14 |
|
Turnips human feed |
3 |
Bull |
1 |
|
Cabbage stock |
1½ |
|
|
|
Cabbage shop |
1½ |
|
|
|
|
131½ crop |
|
70 |
|
|
|
Beef cattle |
|
|
1st year grass in cutting |
27½ |
Bullocks over 2 yrs |
3 |
|
2nd and 3rd year in cutting |
35 |
Under 1 year |
15 |
|
4th, 5th &6thyear
in cutting |
13½ |
Female |
1 |
|
7 or more years in cutting |
15½ |
|
19 |
|
4 to 6 years not cutting |
10 |
Total |
89 |
|
Permanent pasture |
20 |
|
|
|
|
121½ |
Poultry under 6 months |
63 |
|
Woods |
6 |
|
|
|
Road and buildings |
3 |
|
|
|
Total |
262 |
|
|
June 1965
|
Crops |
Acres |
Dairy Cattle |
|
|
Wheat
|
43½ |
Milkers |
43 |
|
Barley |
67 |
Dry |
8 |
|
Potatoes |
34 |
In
calf heifer |
12 |
|
Turnips |
2 |
1-2 years |
5 |
|
|
147 crop |
6 months to 1 year |
12 |
|
|
|
Under 6 months |
9 |
|
1st year grass mowing |
33 |
Bull |
1 |
|
2nd year mowing |
21 |
|
90 |
|
3rd year |
6 |
Beef cattle |
|
|
Permanent pasture |
45 |
Bullocks 1 - 2 years |
1 |
|
|
106 |
Under 6 months |
6 |
|
|
|
|
7 |
|
Woodlands |
6 |
|
|
|
Road and buildings |
3 |
Poultry hens |
96 |
|
Total |
262 |
Pullets |
100 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hay |
2 tons |
Cattle sold Dec - June |
|
|
Straw |
25 tons |
Under 6months |
7 |
|
|
|
Over 6 months |
3 |
June 1971
|
Crops |
Acres |
Dairy Cattle |
|
|
Wheat
|
43½ |
Milkers |
57 |
|
Barley |
87 |
Dry |
2 |
|
Potatoes |
7 |
In
calf heifer |
9 |
|
|
138 crop |
1-2 years |
16 |
|
|
|
6 months to 1 year |
10 |
|
|
|
Under 6 months |
25 |
|
7 year grass for cutting |
69½ |
|
129 |
|
Not for cutting |
10 |
|
|
|
Old |
35 ½ |
Poultry hens |
50 |
|
|
115 |
Pullets |
100 |
|
Total |
253 |
|
|
|
|
|
Cattle sold Dec - June |
24 |
June 1975
|
Crops |
Acres |
Dairy Cattle |
|
|
Wheat
|
38½ |
Milking |
60 |
|
Barley |
89¼ |
Dry |
4 |
|
Potatoes |
7 7½ |
In
calf heifer |
12 |
|
P P |
45½ |
1-2 years |
20 |
|
|
259¾ crop |
6 months to 1 year |
10 |
|
|
|
Under 6 months |
7 |
|
Weeds |
6 |
|
113 |
|
Roads & Buildings |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
Poultry hens |
60 |
|
Total |
259¾ |
Pullets |
100 |
June 1980
|
Crops |
Acres |
Dairy Cattle |
|
|
Wheat
|
35 |
Milkers |
56 |
|
Barley |
83½ |
Dry |
2 |
|
|
118½ crop |
In
calf heifer |
24 |
|
|
|
1-2 years |
20 |
|
Lea grass - mowing |
64½ |
6-12 months |
9 |
|
Grazing |
10 |
Under 6 months |
8 |
|
Permanent pasture |
33¼ |
|
119 |
|
|
107¾ |
|
|
|
|
|
Beef cattle sold over 6 months |
16 |
|
Back of Ratho |
2¾ |
|
|
|
Woods |
6 |
Poultry laying |
140 |
|
Road and buildings |
3 |
Poultry rearing |
180 |
|
Total |
238 |
|
|
During the preceding period a portion of the land had been sold hence the change in acreage
Collecting eggs ©
June 1985
|
Crops |
Acres |
Dairy Cattle |
|
|
Wheat
|
37½ |
Milkers |
57 |
|
Winter Barley |
17½ |
Dry |
0 |
|
Spring Barley |
63½ |
In
calf heifer |
15 |
|
Peas |
10 |
Under 2 years |
6 |
|
|
|
1-2 year |
10 |
|
|
|
6-12 months |
15 |
|
|
|
Under 6 months |
6 |
|
|
|
Bull calves |
6 |
|
|
222¾ crop |
|
115 |
|
Woods |
6 |
Beef cattle sold |
|
|
Road and buildings |
3 |
Calves |
25 |
|
Total |
232½ |
Under 1 year |
15 |
|
|
|
Female |
1 |
|
|
|
|
19 |
|
|
|
Total |
89 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poultry Hens |
50 |
June 1990
|
Crops |
Acres |
Dairy Cattle |
|
|
Wheat
|
39½ |
Milkers |
44 |
|
Winter Barley |
20 |
Dry |
6 |
|
Spring Barley |
62½ |
In
calf heifer |
6 |
|
Winter Oil Seed Rape |
22 |
|
10 |
|
|
144 |
|
3 |
|
|
|
1-2 years |
14 |
|
Young grass in cutting |
51½ |
6-12 months |
7 |
|
Permanent pasture |
27¼ |
Under 6 months |
7 |
|
|
222¾ |
|
97 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Woods |
6 |
Calves sold |
21 |
|
Road and buildings |
3¾ |
|
|
|
Total |
232½ |
Horses |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poultry |
24 |
June 1995
|
Crops |
Hectares |
Cattle |
|
|
Set
Aside |
9.24 |
In
calf heifer |
19 |
|
Wheat
|
28.78 |
Bullocks |
9 |
|
Spring Barley |
24.05 |
Calve |
1 |
|
Winter Rape |
15.08 |
|
29 |
|
|
77.15 |
|
|
|
Grass |
13.55 |
Calves sold |
2 |
|
|
90.70 |
|
|
|
|
|
Horses |
7 |
|
Woods |
2.55 |
|
|
|
Road and buildings |
2.06 |
Poultry |
30 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
95.31 |
|
|
June 2000
|
Crops |
Hectares |
Cattle |
|
|
Set
Aside |
9.24 |
In
calf heifer |
19 |
|
Wheat
|
28.78 |
Bullocks |
9 |
|
Spring Barley |
24.05 |
Calve |
1 |
|
Winter Rape |
15.08 |
|
29 |
|
|
77.15 |
|
|
|
Grass mowing |
13.55 |
Calves sold |
2 |
|
Grazing |
1.98 |
|
|
|
|
|
Horses |
7 |
|
Woods |
2.55 |
|
|
|
Road and buildings |
2.06 |
Poultry |
45 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
95.31 |
|
|