THE ISLE OF MAN — ITS AGRICULTURE, CLIMATE, ETC. 363 



wheel, 6 feet; length of shaft, of malleable or wrought iron, 17 

 feet ; diameter, 21 inches ; weight, 10 tons ; makes two revolu- 

 tions per minute, and can be increased to four and a-half. Two 

 revolutions per minute keeps the mine clear of water. It pumps, 

 from a depth of 400 yards, 250 gallons per minute, which can be 

 materially increased if required. There are upwards of 400 men 

 employed under ground, and 200 men above ground. 



A search was" made for coal during the spring and summer 

 of 1867, but without any success. Several companies have 

 started in various directions throughout the island in search of 

 slate and flag metal, but with very little success ; one company 

 alone having spent upwards of L.50,000, and did not realise L.100 

 worth of metal. 



The climate of the island is much more mild, uniform, and 

 equal throughout the year than any of the neighbouring coasts, 

 nevertheless, it is very moist. From a carefully kept register, 

 during the year 1867, we find that less or more rain fell during 

 some period of the twenty-four hours upon 254 days, and 78 

 days throughout the year were actually dry, and 33 frost w T ith 

 snow; and mist is seldom off the mountain tops. Only on 19 

 days during the year was the mist not observed upon them, 

 which is materially against the value of their pasture for sheep. 

 The climate varies more in a short distance on the island than it 

 does from the city of Edinburgh to the Castletown of Braemar. 

 The mean annual temperature is, however, higher than any 

 place in Europe. Frost or snow are always slight and of short 

 duration. Gales of wind are very frequent ; and there is a want 

 of sunshine and sufficient heat during the summer to produce a 

 good sample of wheat. 



There is a great variety of soil. In the northern districts it is 

 sandy, resting upon clay or marl ; the clay is seldom more than 

 two feet from the surface. Clay is frequently used to top-dress 

 the light land, to give it consistency to produce wheat. In this 

 district there is a large tract of land called Curragh, hundreds 

 of acres of which are still unimproved, with every access at 

 command for drainage. Along the centre it is poor soil, and it 

 has been very appropriately termed the backbone of the island. 

 Here the land is thin, and where it is wet is of the worst descrip- 

 tion, even when drained artificially ; but if of a dry bottom 

 naturally, and in fair condition, it yields Swedish turnips in large 

 quantity at an elevation where it would be useless to sow them in 

 Scotland, but their quality is inferior. Towards the south the soil 

 rests upon limestone ; it is chiefly loam, though clay prevails in 

 some parts, and in some places it is sandy. Lime of good quality 

 is wrought in abundance, and driven for agricultural purposes over 

 the whole island ; it is sold cheap. Manxmen give to their land 

 very small doses of lime at a time, from ten to twelve barrels per 



