364: THE ISLE OF MAN — ITS AGRICULTURE, CLIMATE, ETC. 



acre, or at the rate of three to four cart-loads at most. Limestone 

 is found very near the surface. Towards Castletown it crops out 

 upon the surface for a considerable distance along the sea shore. 

 The land in this district is of good quality, and lets at from L.3 to 

 L.5 per acre. There are also large quantities of sea ware driven in 

 upon the southern coast ; hundreds of carts may be seen loading 

 of a morning if the wind is of a westerly or south-west direction. 

 Every farmer in the district takes advantage of it, which materially 

 adds to the produce of the land. This is the best farmed portion 

 of the island ; and where the land is not naturally dry, it has 

 been made so artificially. The farmers here generally manage 

 to clean a portion of their land intended for green crop immedi- 

 ately after harvest. This they ridge up for potatoes, and leave it 

 in this way during the winter ; it is thus ready to receive the 

 sea ware, come when it may. It is drawn direct from the shore on 

 to the land, placed in the ridges at the rate of from thirty to fifty 

 loads an acre, is spread into the ridges, and left in this way until 

 the potatoes are planted. On the west and north shores very 

 little ware is to be had, except occasionally ; and that which is 

 driven ashore is small and weedy compared with that of the south. 

 Large quantities are occasionally found in Douglas Bay. 



The rotation of cropping generally followed is the five course 

 shift, viz., first year grass, always cut for hay ; the average pro- 

 duce does not exceed one and a-half ton per acre. There is no 

 second crop capable of being cut for soiling or otherwise, and it 

 is eaten by sheep or cattle. The second crop is pastured. The 

 third is for the most part ploughed for oats ; but in the north, 

 from the repeated marling of the land, oats do not succeed well, 

 and wheat, without any manure whatever, is sown after the lea 

 land. A top-dressing of marl or clay is usually applied about or 

 after harvest. The third crop is potatoes or turnips. The stubble 

 is ploughed as soon after harvest as circumstances will permit. 

 This they plough as roughly as possible, when it is left for the 

 winter ; gets no second ploughing ; the grubber is drawn once 

 through it ; no matter what quantity of dirt, it is seldom taken 

 out, but ridged by the single plough. The green crop is then 

 put in in the spring. The whole crop is drawn to the yard, and 

 barley or oats is then sown. 



As I have already observed, the first year's grass crop is cut 

 for hay. This they generally sell before harvest to the stable 

 keepers in the different towns, and, on an average of years, the 

 price is from 50s. to 60s. per ton. The second crop of grass, 

 which is generally very scanty, is eaten by the milch cows, or 

 by ewes that may have had late lambs. The third year the 

 grass is broken up, and as the land for the most part is very 

 steep, they in general plough the lea across the face of the hill, 

 and it is surprising how they make so good workmanship. On 



