THE ISLE OF MAN — ITS AGRICULTURE, CLIMATE, ETC. 367 



spun at home, and wrought into cloth by some country weavers. 

 They managed to sell a few sheep yearly, which kept them in 

 little necessaries during the winter. 



The Crown has taken the greater part of this privilege from 

 them, and sold these lands, and expended a portion of the money 

 in improving and making new roads throughout the mountains. 

 A small proportion is still retained for the use of the inhabitants, 

 and a rent is charged for the pasture. 



The whole grain crop is cut either by means of the scythe, or 

 small reaping machine. The scythe is most usually employed, 

 and whole fields are cut and left in the swaith for several days, hi 

 order to win it. In wet seasons it often happens that it lies until 

 it is growing to the ground. In three or four days, if the 

 weather is favourable, all hands are sent to tie and stook it up. 

 Neither men nor women receive any victuals during harvest. 

 The men are paid 12s. per week, and the women 9s. They are 

 usually employed wet and dry during harvest, at drawing straw 

 for thatch, making ropes, &c. The stacks are made long, in the 

 form of hay-stacks in Scotland. Bound ones are seldom erected, 

 and when they are, they have no idea of putting an opening in the 

 centre, by means of the old Scots three legged kiln. During the 

 lifting of potatoes the women get 9d. per day, but if sent for from 

 the town, Is. per day has to be paid them. 



The old-fashioned flail is still in operation on many of the small 

 holdings, but where farms are of two or three pairs of horses, the 

 old mole mill with a long bar is in general use. One company has 

 three or four travelling steam mills at work, and they are generally 

 well employed during the winter season. In the dressing of the 

 gram they have no hand riddles ; the grain, in consequence, is 

 very badly prepared for market, and would not pass elsewhere as 

 dressed at all ; the whole is sold by the boll. Wheat is weighed 

 to 256 lb. ; barley, to 366 lb. ; oats, 252 lb. There is no measure 

 of any kind. Potatoes, 4 cwts. per boll. We have never seen 

 grain for sale that would come up to the weight by several pounds 

 per bushel. 



Their system of disposing of their produce is worthy of remark. 

 When they have grain for sale they proceed to Douglas market, 

 which is held upon Saturday ; and if they wish to find a mer- 

 chant, they must look for him in the public-house, or go to the mill 

 in search of the miller, or to the stables of the horse hirer. There 

 is no regular market for the sale of farm produce. In the market 

 of Douglas every Saturday, the butchers throughout the country 

 bring their meat to the town in carts, and they, along with the 

 butchers in town, erect stalls in the market-place for the sale of 

 beef, mutton, &c. The farmers send carts of potatoes in the same 

 way ; these they sell at so much per stone. There is also a green 

 and fish market held at the same place. The wives or daughters 



