THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



173 



ing the large decrease in population ; more than one 

 million souls having left Ireland between May 1851 

 and the 3 1st December, 1858. Leaving out of con- 

 sideration the deposits by charitable institutions and 

 friendly societies (although these are also furnished 

 by the labouring classes), let us look at tlie indi- 

 vidual depositors in savings'-banks. The detailed 

 returns for 185U are not yet available for refer- 

 ence. The number of individual depositors in 1854 

 was 52,8G3, and in 1858 59,067. The aggregate 

 amount deposited by these was, in 1854, £1,578,264, 

 and in 1858 ^"1,804,163 — in each case an average 

 of about i.30 per head. This is a highly satisfactory 

 feature in relation to the sister kingdom ; and, if taken 

 in connection with the extension of cultivation, the in- 

 crease of live stock, and the attention paid to the pas- 

 tures, affords remarkable indications of progress. 



Whatever may have been the other influences of the 

 gold discoveries, evident benefits have resulted to the 

 bulk of the people from the increase of employment, 

 the advance in wages, and the diffusion of wealth among 

 the operative classes. There has been, too, a retro- 

 gression rather than an increase in speculation ; for 

 legitimate undertakings have been chiefly piosecuted. 

 Great public and private works have been carried out. 

 The loom, tlie forge, and the workshop have been in 

 active operation. The weekly consumption of cotton 

 has doubled in Great Britain in ten years. Wages have 

 hence been enhanced in the manufacturing districts 2s. 



to 3s. per week ; while employment has become more 

 general, and there is great difficulty in obtaining mill 

 hands to supply the numerous cotton factories recently 

 erected. So also with the linen and woollen trarles, 

 which have equally advanced, as is evidenced by the 

 enormous increased consumption of raw material. 



Machinery, however delicate and subtle in its opera- 

 tions, will not displace altogether manual labour. 

 Overlookers, stokers, spinners, weavers, warpers, and 

 their assistants, must still wait upon the complicated 

 machines. But it is not only in the manufacturing 

 industries that this progress is observable. In the con- 

 structive departments we see an equal extension of em- 

 ployment. Building has been carried out on a most 

 extensive scale, both in town and country, f«r several 

 years past. Railway extension gives indication of con- 

 tinued employment ; for there have been upwards of 

 2,000 miles of new lines opened for traffic in the past 

 five years, and there are about 1,000 (out of 4,000 

 authorized) now in course of construction. The various 

 government dockyards and arsenals have also given 

 large employment for some years past. 



The few facts thus touched upon may at least serve 

 to shadow forth some of the causes which are leading 

 to enhanced prices, in provisions especially. Whether 

 this increase will extend to other articles remains to be 

 seen. Good wages and continuous employment usually 

 lead to a greater expenditure in food and clothing, and, 

 with the thrifty, to a deposit laid aside for a rainy day. 



CALENDAR OF AGRICULTURE, 



The ensuing month is the general season of 

 harvest, as all kinds of grain will be cut and car- 

 ried, except in high situations and in northern 

 latitudes. Wheat is yet best cut by hand-sickle 

 and tied into sheaves ; barley and oats are mown 

 by scythe or by machine, and may lie some days in 

 swathes before being tied into sheaves : when dry, 

 carry the grains quickly. Turn over the heaps of 

 peas very often : do not allow any mouldiness to 

 happen on the under-side. Store peas with little 

 superincumbent pressure : have plenty of thatch 

 always ready. 



In late climates the sheaves of grain must be 

 made small in size, and may be very beneficially 

 built into small ricks of three or four shocks each 

 in the field, to stand there till dry enough for being 

 carried. 



Cut all grain crops before dead ripeness sets in : 

 the straw makes better fodder, the sample of grain 

 is better in quality, and the meal is finer. The 

 husks being thoroughly filled^ the grain will soon 

 become hardened. 



Fmish the clearing of all drilled crops, and earth 

 up potatoes by two furrows of Howard's ridging 

 plough, drawn by two horses walking in distant 

 furrows, with a main tree of five feet stretched be- 

 tween them. A week may elapse between the two 

 furrows, of earthing up. Pull by hand any tall 

 weeds that may afterwards arise. 



Lay pulverized lime on clay fallows ; harrow and 

 plough it into the land ; or lay the cinders on the 

 ground, and plough them under, where the bursting 

 and falling into powder will be caused by the mois- 

 ture in the land, and the subsequent ploughings 

 and harrowinga will mix the lime and the soil. 



This very excellent method of laying lime on the 

 land requires an earlier apphcation in the previous 

 month. Lay farm-yard dung on the wheat fallows, 

 spread it evenly over the surface, and plough it un- 

 der ; or drill the land with one furrow of the com- 

 mon plough, spread the dung in the intervals, re- 

 versing the drills with a single furrow, which will 

 completely cover the dung. A cross-harrowing is 

 required to level the drills before the land is seed- 

 furrowed. When wet lands are ploughed, the cuts 

 across the headlands must be very carefully opened, 

 to convey the water to the ditches. 



Supply to horses and cattle in the farm-yards 

 ample stores of vetches, which will now be very 

 good food, from the pods being seeded. Provide 

 litter in abundance : the manure produced will pay 

 almost any cost. 



Fold sheep on bare pastures: go on with draining: 

 turn over any earthy composts : burn peaty and 

 vegetable substances, for ashes to be used by the 

 drill : keep the liquid tank fihed with earthy sub- 

 stances to be saturated : carry to the pit refuse 

 matters of every kind. 



Keep the draft ewes on good pastures in order 

 to get them fattened: put ewes to the ram for early 

 lambs. The lambs of last spring must have good 

 keep. Some farmers, who have not wanted food 

 nor the means of fattening, now sell the lambs and 

 the draft ewes. 



Sow on beds of rich and well-prepared lands 

 the seeds of drumhead cabbages and savoys, for 

 plants to be used in May of next year. Sow in 

 the end of the month rye and tares for early spring 

 use. 



