394 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



sire is generallj' expressed for some legislative mea- 

 sure to protect the improving fanner, who cleans his 

 land, from the injury done to his crops by the winged 

 seeds of noxious weeds, carried by the wind from the 

 field of some negligent neighbour. Such a protection 

 is afforded to the cultivator of the soil in some of her 

 Majesty's colonies, and in parts of Europe." 



The total area of Ireland, including bog, waste, roads, 

 fences, &c., is 20,811,774 acres. Of this there was un- 

 der culture in 1858, 5,882,492 acres, apportioned as 

 follows : 551,386 under wheat, 1,970,929 in oats, 

 190,721 with bailey, 1G,489 with here and rye, 12,870 

 under beans and peas, 1,100,050 in potatoes, 337,877 

 in turnips, 30,027 with mangold wurzcl and beet-root, 

 33,107 with cabbage, 23,450 with carrots, parsnips, 

 and other green crops, 33,441 with vetches and rape, 

 91,555 with flax, and 1,424,578 in meadow and clover, 

 while 44,937 acres are under fallow or uncropped ara- 

 ble land. Let us now compare the progress made and 

 mark the changes of crops in seven years. 

 Abstract of Cereal Crops. 



1858. 

 551,386 acres. 

 1,976.929 „ 

 220,086 „ 



1852. 



Wheat 353,566 acres. 



Oats 2,283,449 „ 



Barley, rye, pulse, &c. 339,591 „ 



Total 2,976,606 „ ..2,748,401 „ 



Abstract of Green Crops. 



1852. 1858. 



Potatoe 876,532 acres. . . 1,160,056 acres. 



Turnips 356,790 „ .. 337,877 „ 



Other green crops 



121.565 



120,025 



Total 1,354,887 „ ..1,617,958 „ 



The total extent in statute acres under the cereal crops 

 and green crops in the middle of last year in Ireland 

 was therefore 4,300,359 acres, showing aslightdecrea?e 

 of 34,800 acres as compared with 1852. It will be 

 seen by reference, that the culture of wheat is extend- 

 ing, while oats, barley, rye, beans, and peas are declin- 

 ing'. Potatoes are resuming their former ascendancy, 

 while turnips, cabbage, and other green crops, on the 

 series of years, show comparatively little variation. 



The declining culture of flax is worth especial 

 notice, in the face of the loud professions of profitable 

 returns spoken of in Ireland, and the outcry for flax 

 by the flax-spinners. The culture has made little pro- 

 gress out of the province of Ulster, and even there has 

 been retrograding. The following figures shew the 



total number of acres under flax culture in Ireland in 



each of the past seven years : 



1852 137,008 



1853 174,579 



1854 151,403 



1855 97,606 



1856 106,311 



1857 97,721 



1858 



91,555 



The reason of this decline is, we are told, the unpro- 

 fitable nature of the crop, which does not prove so re- 

 munerative as other crops, and hence its abandonment 

 in many quarters. 



The following abstract shows the quantity of live 

 stock in Ireland now, and seven years ago : 



1852. 1858. 



Horses 525,088 610,717 



Cattle 3,095,067 3,6 ol, 594 



Sheep 2,613,943 3,487,785 



Pigs 1,072,658 1,402,812 



Total .... 7,306,756 9,162,908 

 These figures indicate an increase of 85,029 horses, 

 506,527 cattle, 873,842 sheep, and 330,154 pigs, or 

 an aggregate increase of 1,850,152 head of all kinds of 

 live stock. Examining the returns for last year, we 

 find that of the horses above two years old 431,420 

 were kept for agricultural purposes ; and of the cattle, 

 1,633,378 were milch cows. 



The total value of live stock, calculated according to 

 the rates assumed by the Census Commissioners of 

 1841, viz., for horses £8 each, cattle ^£-0 10s., sheep 

 22s., and pigs 25s. each, was as follows : 



1852. 1858. 



Horses 4,200,704 4,885,736 



Cattle 20,117,935 23,800,361 



Sheep 2,875,337 3,836,563 



Pigs 1,340,823 1,753,515 



Total ...28,534,799 34,276,175 

 The increase in value from 1852 to 1858 was there- 

 fore £5,741,370, a sum which represents the amount 

 by which the farmers of Ireland as a body are richer 

 than they were seven years ago. The cattle and horses 

 arc estimated, however, at a very low figure. Look- 

 ing at the details and statistics generally, they are of 

 a very encouraging and hopeful character, and there 

 is every reason to believe that considerable and satis- 

 factory progress is niakiug in Ireland both in farming 

 and cattle-breeding. 



THE ENGLISH FARMER IN BELGIUM. 



'Tii odd, but true, that though it requires more con- 

 sideration on the part of the inhabitant of an island to 

 overcome the fear of sea-sickness in leaving it, than in 

 moving from one part of a continent to another, no 

 nation are so fond of travelling as the English, and 

 none less so than the French. Brussels is only four 

 hours' journey from Lille, and yet how few 

 dwellers in the latter place have ever been there ! No 

 viteing your passport is required ; and for 78. 4d., 



second-class, you are in one of the nicest cities in the 

 world. There are 8,000 English here, attracted by its 

 charming situation on a high hill, its healthiness, clean- 

 liness, cheapness in living and education : liberty and 

 order are to be found here too. The cheapest route is 

 vid Dunkirk ; first-class boat, second-class rail ; alto- 

 gether, from London -bridge to Brussels, is only IBs. 

 7d. I know not another trip so cheap and pleasant; 

 but a French passport must be taken in London. 



