Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-04-23
Mptes pf Trapeliu Gntope.
OBSERVATIONS. ON IRELAND.
BY REV. r. LATHAM.

BY REV. r. LATHAM.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.]
About six Irish miles northwest of Bally-
carry, at the head of Larne Lough is the
old town Larne. The population is nearly
three thousand five hundred. 1t is con-
nected with Ballymena on the west and
Belfast on the south by railroad, and carries
on considerable trffiac with England and
Scotland. Boats run between London,
Liverpool, Fleetwood, Glasgow and vari-
Gus other ports, both in England and Scot
land, and Larne. Between several of these
ports, perhaps all of them, and Larne steam
boats run every night. Very large quanti-
ties of lime are shipped from Larne to Ayr
shire, Scotland. This lime is mainly used
for agricultural purposes. Here it may be
remarked that the farmers of the British
Isles devote more attention to making man
ure than the farmers Of america do. With
the farmers of England, Ireland and Scot
land manure makingis the business. They
use large quantities of lime; we, as rule,
use very little lime. This is strictly true
with regard to Southern farmers. In Ire
land-and the same is true of England and
Scotland-nothing is planted or sown with
out the ground being first thoroughly man
ured. The manuring is not done, as 1t
is most frequently done in our southern
country, by dropping down a small hand
full of manure in the hill or by scattering it
spread broad cast over the ground so thick
that the ground is literally covered by it..
Not only are the fields designed to be plant
ed in oats, flax, turnips, potatoes and other
crops manured broad cast, but the pasture
fields are manured. This system of man.
uring has been in practice for several hum
dred years. The result is that the soil is
made permanently rich. Land, which in
some cases was naturally poor, has, by this
long continued process of thorough manur-
ing, been made 50 rich that it may be COM
pared to those places in our country on
which hogs or cows have been penned for
years. In fact, was told that sometimes
the land is made too rich to be productive
and requires to be tempered with poor soil:
In Ireland manure heap is part and
parcel of every we'll conducted farm. From
the low marshy places the farmers haul
muck, and having placed it in some conve-
nient place, it is mixed with lime. This is
allowed to remain until it is thoroughly de-
composed, then it is hauled out into the
fields and scattered. Lime is scattered
broadcast over the fields on which the crops
are growing. So far as now remember, the
practice of scattering pure lime, or lime un-
mixed with muck, is confined to potato
fields on which it is designed to sow oats
after the potato crop is gathered. l fire.
quently saw potato fields covered so COM
pletely with lime that they presented the
same appearance as if covered with snow.
Lime is sometimes soWn over the pasture
fields. think this is done in early spring.
The cost of lime at the kiln, in Ireland, is
&boc hot ~ iS n pnnntrv
do not think that our ridge lands would bear
the heavy applications of lime that are made
by Irish farmers, and it would prove of no
avail if applied to old worn out land, in
which there is no vegetable matter. But J.
am not writing an essay on agriculture.
At one time in the worlds history, Larne
was place of perhaps more note than 1t is
at present On the extreme point of mar
row peninsula, which, because of its resem-
blance to a sickle, is called Carran- Carran,
being the Irish word for sickle or reap-hook,
are the remains of Olderfleet Castle. 1t was
at this place that Edward Bruce, the broth
er of the celebrated Robert Bruce, King of
Scotland, landed. This was in 1915. Ed
ward the Second was King of England. Ire
land was in wretched condition, and Scot
land was not much, if any, better. AS an
evidence of this, it may be stated that by an
act of Parliament, held at Kilkenny, in 1909,
the murder of an Irishman was not punish
able by law, and the defaming of an Irish
woman was declared no crime. After the
battle of Bannockburn, which was fought
on the oath of June, 1914, the Irish invited
Robert Bruce to become their King. Many
reasons were urged why this step should be
taken. The similarity of the manner and
customs of the Scotch and Irish, their com
mon lineage and language, and the fact that
both were harrassed by England, seemed to
indicate the wisdom of the movement. So
it appeared to Robert Bruce, and to show
his interest in poor doWn-trodden Ireland,
he sent his brother Edward with an army of
six thousand men to assist in the deliver
ance of the Irish from English rule. Ed
ward Bruce with his six thousand men,
landed at Larne, or rather at Olderfieet Cas-
tie, near Larne, in May, 1915. The Irish
focked to his standard, and he began in
earnest, the work of devastation. The Earl
of Ulster was defeated and many of the
English noble slain in battle which was
fought soon after the landing of Bruce.
Carrickfergus was next attacked. Being
strongly fortified and we'll garrisoned its
capture could only be effected by siege.
Lord Vaudeville was in command of the
garrison. Many deeds of daring valor were
performed, both by the besieged and besieg-
ers. Prominent among these may be no.
ticed the herosm of one Neill Fleming, the
commander of Scotch guard of sixty men.
At a time when the commander of the be-
siegers seems to have been apprehending no
danger, Lord Vaudeville led his forces out
to attack them. Nell Fleming and his
guard of sixty men, were the only persons
in the Scotch army prepared for battle. The
troops led by Vaudeville were desperate.
Fleming saw that the Scotch army was like
ly to be surprised and routed unless some
thing desperate was done. He promptly
sent a messenger to Edward Bruce to warn
him of the impending danger, and threw
himself and his guard in front of the advan-
cling forces of Vaudeville. AS the forces Of
the besieged, made desperate by hunger,
advanced, ,Neill Fleming shouted to his men,
"NOw let them see how we can die for our
lord" The desperate courage of Fleming
and his sixty men stopped, for time, the
forces of Vaudeville. But sixty men could
not stand long before thousands. They were
cut to pieces. Not one survived. Mande-
Vile now divided his forces, hoping to be
able to surround the Scotch troops. But
Bruce, warned by Fleming, was ready 10
meet them. The two armies met, led by
Bruce and Vaudeville. Not only so, but
the two leaders met face to face. In front
Of Bruce was one Gilbert Harper, man of
great muscular power and tried val0r. AS
the two parties neared each other, Harper
saw Vaudeville, whom he knew by his dress.
Regardless of consequences, he rushed fu-
riOuslv on Mandeyille surrounded as he