, 1880-04-03

its composition, excepting in the practice
of the more advanced farmers.
In a run from Dublin due west across
Ireland, it IS not the very best soils or the
most tavoured farming which can be seen
from the railway. You miss both the good
arabic huSbandry of Kildare and the primo
Old pastures Of Meath. Neither is this the
time OF year to judge the quality Of grass
Il But as | have visited all the chief
grazing districts on other occasions and
have been on the grass lands of Cork,
Limerick, Tipperary, R~oScommon, West
meath, and Meath: when at their best in
the summer, | may offer a few words with
respect to them. The limestone land
yields a finer pasturage than the appear
ance OF the sWard at this season betokens.
The richest natural grass to be found is
affirmed capable Of tattening a steer of
moderate size up to 6 " dead weight,
and to craze q young beast or heifer at the
same time. on one Irish acre, which is
] 5-13th statute measure. The best grass
in Roscommon iatJens Il big cow from a
poor condition in May to be heavy beef in
October. In Westmeath good grass is
considered to tatten one 70 or 50 stone
OK and one wethcr per Irish acre-that is,
eight large bullockS and eight Wethers on
Is statute acres; the pasture being good
for q very long seaSoE, seeing that it can
often be stocked in March or beginning OF
April, and continues a luXuriant Sward
in autumn when English grass lands in an
ordinary season are for the most part bare
or turning brown. in Tipp2raIy tue best
grass land feeds one bullock Of 60 stone and
one large wether per Irish acre. In Meath
there is much old, permanent pasture; but
1t is only a minor proportion OF this which
IS OF tirSt-cl1SS qualIty-aS a tract south OF
Trim, by SumIncrilill to the border of kil
dare County. Il belt stretching east OF kells
towards Drogheda, while another tract of
the best feeding land is found along the
coast near Malabilc. These first class
grazing lands are geologically On the
mountain limestone, bat possess a deep,
strong soil or clayey loan, probably occu-
pying not more than a fourth of this fam
Gus county. The primeSt pastures of
Meath tatten the largest OK or a couple of
small 3G to 10 stone heiterS per Irish acre,
between May and the latter end of autumn.
In Roscommon good grass carries for the
summer six months three hoggetS, or two
and a half ewes with lambs, or two Ii
Il half tattlng WetherS per ,%Statnte acre.
Some land f2ttenS -four big wethcrS per
acre. The grass comes earlier and grows
faster and lasts longer in this weeping or
vaporouS climate than is the case i'll at
least the middle and east Of England.
But for summer grazing during the height
of the season. these Irish grass lands are
surpassed by the rich, velvet swardS of the
finest fattCning lands III LelceStcrShlre,
Northampt0mshire, and Lincolnshire. And
as to the management of these lands can
assert to he still true the style which the
Special Correspondent Of The Times deS-
cribed Is years ago. An English farmer,
expecting to see these fine lands splendid
IL grazcd. like English best meadowsin the
summer months, would be very much dis
appointed. He would look for herbago
carefully cropped to its proper length or
shortnesS for builocks or sheep respective
~, and eaten close Off once q year; he
would look for watchtul spreading of the
dung dropped by the stock, SO as to pre-
vent a fluffy condition of the heritage, for
diligent spudding of encumberlng t~hlstles,
for dulling or moving of nettleS and pun
chy Overlapping %ragwort; he would look
for the manurial tOp-dressing, bruShhar-
rowed at the very least, where S~ccond-rato
grass las is the custom) was to be moWn
for hay: and he would, Of course, expect
well-planted hedges neatly and tastetuIly
trimmed, gates kept strong and in good
opening and shutting order, and every
pains observed in curling watercourseS,
freeing the surface of low spots from excess
sive wetness, and generally the evidences
of the high estimation in which every avail
able rod of the grass was held by the for
d. - - rnrn nnfnT-