468 Revieiu of BlatijTical Purvey Nov. 



thorn hedges (hould be ralfed in places where ftones are not in 

 fo great abundance ; and we hope, that gates, as well as fences, 

 will be generally ufed in Downihire. At prefent, we find, that 

 * the ufual method of putting cattle into the fields, is by a bufh 

 fluck in between two jambs of ftonc or fods, which is put into 

 its place, or removed from it, at the evident peril of the fingers. ' 

 We hope that Downihire fliall foon have better gates, and better 

 enclofures. 



The Seventh Chapter, which is entitled Arable Land, is divided 

 into five fc61ions: 1. Tillage: 2. Fallowing: 3. Rotation of 

 crops: 4. Crops commonly cultivated: and, 5. Crops not com- 

 monly cultivated. 



We are forry to find, amongft feveral judicious. cbfei-vations o« 

 tillage, and fome high compliments paid to the clajfical T^ull^ that 

 the general pra61:ices of the farmers are very bad j that fallowing 

 is feldom pratlifed j that the method of cropping is fo exhaulling 

 to the land, being generally inceflant ploughing till the ground is 

 quite worn out ; that the barony of Lecale is the only place iu 

 which any thing like a rotation of crops is generally obferveJ •, and 

 that, even there, two, and fometimes thrpe white crops, are tak?n, 

 without one green crop intervening ; nay that, after a potato fal« 

 low, which is the general preparation for wheat, inflead of fowing 

 grafs feeds with the wheat after hoeing it in fpring, two other 

 corn crops are often taken before it is laid out in grafs. 



Among the crops commonly cultivated, we find that here is 

 called lijinter barley, and is managed every v/ay like wheat. We 

 are at a lofs to know what fpecics of barley is here meant. Bear 

 or big, or what is called Chejler bear, is a foux-rowed grain, and 

 runs to ftraw more than barley, v^hich is two-rowed, if fov/n in 

 winter. If fown in fpring, it is froi.i two to three weeks fliorter 

 time on the ground than barley. We fufpedl there is fomie millake 

 here. 



We are forry to find, that while turnips are among the crops r,ot 

 commonly cultivated, peas ihould be lefs ufed than formerly. It 

 would be a great matter, where a field has been limed, and 

 produced a crop of w^heat after potatoes, that it were fov/n v/ith 

 peas before another white crop, viz. barley, is taken. 



The different methods of cultivating potatoes are defcribed in 

 this chapter ; and the Reporter has ftated a fa£i:, which feems to 

 ihow, that repeated crops of potatoes do not exhaull the land, 

 viz. that, near the town of Killough, he faw a piece of ground 

 that had produced crops of this root for 40 years ; and that, in, 

 1801, they were better than ever he had feen them. We believe, 

 that if the flowers are picked off, and the potato net allowed to 

 apple, potatoes are not fo e^xhauiling a crop as is generally ima- 

 gined, 



TI-.8 



