ON SEAWEED AS MANURE* 73 



year in which it is laid on ; but does from the ashes for seve- 

 ral years. 



Our time of gathering it in summer is always the first or Collecting and 

 second spring-tide after Midsummer : the Court fixes the cunn 8 lt " 

 day to begin to cut it. There are but six or seven days 

 allowed to do it. It is done with a small hook, partly cut 

 and partly torn from the rocks. It is brought ashore just 

 above high-water mark, and there spread and dried in the 

 same manner as hay. Three or four days of fine weather 

 are enough, (for it must not be too dry.) It is put in 

 large cocks, and carried home at leisure, and housed. If 

 there be no convenient place they make a rick, and a cer* 

 tain quantity is brought within at a time. A small bundle Burning for 

 of brambles, or a little faggot, is put in the chimney, and 

 twice or thrice as much vraic as a man can take in his arms 

 placed over it, It makes a good fire, and as it burns must 

 be supplied with fresh vraic. The ashes must be drawn 

 aside in a corner of the chimney every now and then, for it 

 must not be burned too much, otherwise it would lose the 

 best part of its virtue. The ashes are, carried away every 

 morning to a place under cover. Before I leave this arti- 

 cle, 1 must observe to you, that it may be gathered with 

 you, as there is no restraint, any time in the summer. 



The winter vraic is begun to be gathered about the mid- Spring gaih«r- 

 dle of February, and continues till about the latter end of 

 March. That with large broad leaves, which usually grows in 

 deep water, is the best to be used green. It is carried as 

 soon as possible on the land for which it is intended, and 

 spread on it, if rainy weather. If very dry weather, it is left 

 pn the ground in little heaps till moist weather. 



This is the method by which we gather our vraic here. Method of 

 Now I will describe how we use it. After our land has usm 6 lU 

 lain fallow three or four months, about December or Ja- 

 nuary we give a light ploughing, just to turn the turf. 

 Some spread their ashes before it is turned ; others after. 

 J believe it is no great matter which. We allow forty- 

 eight bushels to a vergee, (two vergees and a quarter make 

 an English acre) the green vraic is brought, as before* 

 mentioned, and spread in such a manner as that the leaves 



almost 



