When a field consists of a long reach of a declivity, I have found it better to plough it diagonally, than up and down. In order to ascertain the obliquity of the future ridges, it will be right to try the plough in some of the steepest parts; the difficulty will consist in the reluctance of the fur-slice to turn off from the plough-wrist; after the passage of the plough, it is also likely to fall back, if not completely mastered and laid over. Having found the degree of obliquity, which is practicable, lay off a fur-whit and a fur-back, and mark at equal distances for the parallels. Let the ridges be all thus marked, before the finishing of any, and let the fur-whit be opened up the hill, and the fur-back down, because the laying up of the back is more difficult than the laying up of the whit, or opening fur. Having marked the oblique ridges, proceed to intersect these, at the interval of about sixty feet, with other furs in the direction of the declivity up and down. The intention of these intersecting is, to open drains for the more ready carrying off, by the declivity, the water, which is so far conveyed down the furrow; it has also a further use, which is that of intercepting the flow of the water, which would otherwise pass down the whole length of the oblique furrow. The advantage of thus shortening the reaches of the water-vents will be evident to those, who have observed the difficulty of having the lower part of their field dry enough, to suit the various seasons of ploughing, seeding, &c., at which the upper parts are manageable; besides, a field, thus laid out, becomes dry in half an hour, after heavy rain, and it will ripen equally in all parts. IMPLEMENTS OF HUSBANDRY. Dicendum est et quæ sunt duris agrestibus arma, Queis sine nec potuere seri, nec surgere messes. The Plough. VIRGIL. GEORG. That in common use is also of the old Scottish model; the beam and the head are long and heavy. Where the natural oak is yet PP extant, the plough is made of it; but generally the timber of the best ploughs is ash. A worse kind is sold ready made in markets, of alder.* Our farmers temper the plough by driving wedges in the mortice, which receives the beam into the steer-tree; this mortice they call the glut; it is cut longer than the tenant; and the depressing or elevating this tenant, by shifting the wedge above or below in the mortice, is termed tempering by the gluts. Is it not strange, that in a country, where mechanic ingenuity has been displayed advantageously in the machineries for the linen and cotton manufactories, the instruments for farming remain in so rude a state? The American plough, whose head is of iron, and is in one piece with the sock, is sometimes to be seen. In Magilligan, the plough used in the low lands is always feathered, and the feather is kept regularly sharp; otherwise, the tough sward, after the passage of the plough, would fall back into the fur, like an elasting rope untwisting itself. At present almost every gentleman and every respectable farmer uses the Scottish plough, made after the Rotherham fashion. The Harrow. In general use we have a great harrow, or brake, consisting of five bills and four stoats, with thirty heavy tines. We have also a hinge, or falling harrow, of lighter scantling, with six bills and four stoats, and thirty-six tines; this is not common: these are of ash; but the poor farmer has only a machine, whose bills are of alder or birch; these are tied together by rungs of the same. The tines are light; it is only fit to scrape the surfaces, rendered incoherent by continual cropping. Our better farmers of late use the double brake with long and heavy tines. Where the soil is stiff, if the fur gets leave to harden, no brake will reduce it; the instrument then used is the mell, (a log with a See under the head of prices. long handle;) with this, urged by a strong arm, the lumps are tediously reduced. The Wheel Car Is little different from that commonly used in Dublin; our carrying car-men avail themselves of all improvements, and are thus good examples to the country. About twenty years ago in implements of husbandry the neighbourhood of Newtown was most advanced, and that about Derry almost the farthest in the rear. The reason seems to have been that the country around on the west was mountainous, or little occupied in tillage, and that on the east had no communication with the city before the building of the bridge; but around Newtown were the residents of many gentlemen of fortune; and the owners in their residences. Thirty years ago, wheel cars were not so common in this country as coaches and chaises now are. Slide Car. Little need be said of so rude and common a machine. Might not a machine, composed of a wheel and a slide car, be useful in bringing much greater loads of turf, with less difficulty, down the steep descents by which the mountain turf are carried to the dwellings in the vallies? I wish not to dwell on some of our still existing implements; the sugan, the branks, the brehan, &c. These will disappear when better instruments are attainable : Ut varios usus meditando extunderet artes Within these twelve years there has been a greater progression of all sorts of carriages than had been for two hundred years before; witness the mail coaches, the Scotch cart, the Rotherham plough, &c. Use of Oxen-How harnessed. They are yoked without exception by the collar. The farmers, generally speaking, employ no bullocks; some gentlemen prefer them, particularly in flat districts or in boggy soils. Mr. Babington of Grocers'-Hall, takes the lead in the use of oxen; in his farms may be seen four or five teams of stout bullocks, with good Scotch ploughs, harnessed and appointed in the most creditable state. Next to Mr. Babington in the adoption of oxen, is Mr. Richardson of Somerset, who usually employs a three-ox team. The Author of this Survey carries on the whole of his farming operations with oxen. By chaining the three-year old steer to the team of the old, he is brought by example as well as by compulsion, to labour in a few days, without loss of time or any inconvenience; he is worked in the farm till the seventh year, and then, poor honest fellow, he is consigned to other uses. There can be nothing more profitable; he is bought for ten guineas, he is worked for four years, and sold for twenty guineas. Proportion of working Horses. It is impossible, and it would be uninteresting, to detail this; in general, two good horses will be sufficient for the tillage and extra work of a farm of twenty acres. In the smaller parcels of land, scarce sufficient for one horse, it is usual to lend and borrow, which is called morrowing. The patch-farmer and the weavers have seldom any horses. But the poor Irishman is so fond of riding, that two at a time are frequently seen on the ill equipped back of a miserable horse. Nature of Manures, dunging, liming, shelling, &c. Sparge fimo pingui et multâ memor occule terrâ, Aut lapidem bibulum, aut squalentes infode conchas. I shall begin this subject, by a quotation from Boats' Natural History of Ireland (p. 193.) "At Crumbally-guillen, or the Leck, the lime, when soft and oily, is dug with a spade, and carried out for manuring land; it is most proper for mossy and hazelly ground. One hundred and sixty loads are given to an acre; each load is about 2 cwt. The harder part is broken into stones of a pound weight.” The reader will find the situation of this and of every other limestone quarry in the map. Limestone is usually quarried at the rate of one guinea for 100 barrels; 80 kish of turf are required to burn 120 barrels of stone lime, which is delivered at the kiln generally from 20d. to 2s. per barrel. In general, it is laid down, at favourable seasons, at from 20d. to 2s. 2d. per barrel. At Muff-glen quarry, in Mr. Babington's proportion, (the Grocers') lately opened, the plan is excellent: a quarry-man is appointed, who opens, regulates, and weighs out the lime-stone to the tenants at id. per cwt. The lime of the Pullen and Kedy is said to be next to that of Desartmartin in esteem; it is also said to be better, or stronger, than that of Magilligan, at the rate of three to four. One barrel of lime consists of only three bushels of stone; when slacked, it swells from six to nine bushels, and makes mortar at the rate of from one to two (sometimes three) parts of sand. White lime, near Spring-hill, is sold at from 1s. to 15d. per barrel. In the liberties, south of Coleraine, lime is brought from the white rocks on the shore, and burned on the farm; two turns of turf in the day; (the same of lime) costs 18d. per barrel.. At Dunbo, three turns of lime can be had from the shore and three turns of turf from the mountains; it stands the farmer about |