86 ON THE AGRICULTURE OF THE 



about the year 1808, and published in 1810. Much, however, as 

 is given in these admirable volumes, we are able to supplement 

 them with a few^ original notes on the " golden past. '* We have 

 been favoured with an old interesting manuscript, \\Titten at 

 various times during his life, by the late Mr John Wallace, who 

 died two years ago at the advanced age of ninety-three years, 

 and who was for a very long time an extensive farmer in the 

 parish of Eosskeen. We subjoin the following extracts from this 

 manuscript : — 



Farming Customs. 



"My father, John Wallace, had the farms of Culrane and 

 Gushack for thirteen years, from 1779 to 1792, at a rent of 140 

 bolls, part barley and part meal ; and duties of money, peats, 

 and hens. At that time he had no ' coup ' (box) carts, and neither 

 mattock nor spade. For driving the manure to the land he had 

 a kind of cart and a basket of wicker-work. The wheels of the 

 cart were constructed of three sticks, six inches in diameter, 

 which were crossed and fixed in the centre by an axle that turned 

 with the wheels on ' tum'lers,' as they were called. Stones as 

 well as manure were conveyed in these carts, and they would 

 carry a heavy load. The wicker-basket cost one shilling, and 

 would last for two years. For carrying home peats, and leading 

 corn, he made a very simple cart of two long shafts, with cross 

 sticks in the bottom, and standing rungs with top rails. As soon 

 as the crop was put in, these carts were taken off the ' tumlers' 

 and put into some shed until the peats should be ready for carry- 

 ing home, when they were used again. All the carriage of corn, 

 meal, and potatoes was done in bags on horseback. Going to the 

 mill, seven or eight horse would be tied in a row, the one to the 

 other's tail, with halters made of horse-hair. A bov led the first 

 horse, while two men were employed in keeping the bags from 

 falling. My father had three ploughs, and six oxen to each 

 plough. The ploughs were made by himself almost entirely of 

 wood, all the iron used being: a strong culter, a sock, and a lar^-e 

 hook fixed at the point of the beam, with a 'stepple' and a few 

 nails, which were required to fix the clading (or mould-board) of 

 deals. When the oxen were strong, the ploughs would work as 

 well as any made for many years after, and would turn over a 

 deeper furrow. The harrows were made of birch, with five 

 rungs across through the 'bills.' He had no grapes, only two 

 large forks ; and in place of a mattock, he had a croman or half- 

 mattock, like a pluck for turnips, but much larger. For a spade, 

 he had a large wooden shovel, mounted with iron at the point 

 and up both sides. The dung was allowed to lie in the byres 

 for a week, and then it was carried to the ' midden' on a wheel- 

 barrow, or sometimes on a two-handed barrow, such as used by 



