THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



483 



and straw. The pigs mit,'ht,in addition, be provided 

 with a few cabbages or other green food in the summer ; 

 and immediately after harvest, such as require fatting 

 to be fatted as fast as possible with the produce of the 

 barley crop, ground and mixed with roots ; but it will be 

 found that many pigs may annually be disposed of as 

 stores, as also the two-year-old cattle not required for 

 dairy purposes. The mare may also breed a foal occa- 

 sionally. I shall not minutely calculate how many head 

 of cattle, pigs, &c., my 2} acres of seeds will feed in 

 the summer, or my 2\ acres of mangolds or swedes, &c., 

 will keep in the winter ; but my long experience leads 

 me to the belief that I can readily find food for the 

 amount of stock enumerated, i. e., three cows, three or 

 four yearlings, three or four "two-year-olds," one horse 

 or mare, twelve store-pigs, and three breeding sows. 

 As for hay, I would not make a bit : all the dry food will 

 be corn and straw. 



I will now attempt to show what amount of produce 

 I shall be able to sell from the farm, and the amount 

 likely to be realized. This will be sufficiently near and 

 conclusive, without showing a regular balance-sheet of 

 outgoings and incomings. 



Estimate of the produce of the farm as applicable for 

 sale: 



£. s. d. 

 To 3 acres of wheat at 4 qra. per acre, or 12 qrs. 



at 453. per qr. (a low average price) 27 



To 2^ acrea of potatoes at 5 tons per acre, for sale 



(after supplying the family), or II5 tons at 6O3. 



per toa 33 15 



To 3 cows' produce of butter, and milk for pigs, 



&c., at £12 per cow 36 



To 3 young heifers or steers, " two-year-olds," at 



£9each 27 



To 12 fat pigs, averaging 15 atones each, or 180 



stone of pork, at 63. per stone 54 



To 12 store-pigs at 303. each 18 



To poultry, eggs, and sundries sold 4 5 



Total produce eold value £200 



Estimate of annual outgoings to deduct : 



£. s. d. 



To rent, tithes, rates, and taxes, at 



41. per acre for 1 2 ucres 43 



To 1 qr. of wheat for seed 2 5 



To 1 qr. of barley for seed ...... 1 15 



To 1 ton of potatoes for seed 3 



To hired labour, iudependent of the 



family services 25 



To wear and tear of implements, 

 &c., and tradesmen's farm bills, 



&c 24 



To sundries, and cash expended in 



manures and seed?, &c 16 120 



Balance £80 



I have thus a balance of i?80 to maintain the farmer's 

 family, and as profits on his enterprise and industry. I 

 am well aware that these estimates are open to severe 

 criticism, but my aim is simply to show some approxi- 

 mate value of the produce, upon a close attention to 

 carry out the details of the course of management I 

 have suggested for these small holdings. Of course, as 

 they may be smaller or larger the farmer will easily 

 accommodate his means and appliances to suit the extent 

 of his farm. 



Although I suggest the foregoing as the foundation of 



an improved system of cottage husbandry adapted to 

 small farms, I would by no means slavishly adhere to 

 it. A change in the rotation is often beneficial. I see 

 no reason why flax should not occasionally, or even fre- 

 quently, be substituted for spring corn, except this : it 

 would involve the purchase of food for the pigs, and 

 there would be the loss of straw for manure. This, 

 however, can be supplied by some of the many artificial 

 manures now in use. It might also be taken occasion- 

 ally instead of the potato crop, if thought desirable. In 

 fact, there are many deviations from my course which 

 might be profitably substituted ; but it will require good 

 judgment to decide upon them. The same general re- 

 marks might apply to the stock kept ; deviations will 

 often be found beneficial, sometimes imperative, owing 

 to various causes which will inevitably arise under the 

 most careful management. One great principle here 

 laid down, it will be observed, is the preparation of a 

 considerable proportion of the produce of the little farm 

 for sale, as in cattle, pigs, and dairying. This I much 

 prefer to the sale of the barley and roots ; and the pota- 

 toes, in fact, might in low or sharp seasons be kept or 

 be sold as it were to the stock, for home consumption, 

 and resold as meat or as young cattle and pigs. 



I will just say a word about the implements required, 

 and their selection, without which my little holding 

 or farm suggestions would be incomplete. In this de- 

 partment the closest economy must be observed. I 

 should require one cart, with shelvings ; one one-horse 

 iron plough, Ransome's or Howard's pattern ; one set 

 of harrows, Howard's pattern, as the chief requisites. 

 The remaining should be chiefly hand implements. The 

 thrashing, dressing, &c., by hire. 



One remark in conclusion. I trust it will not be 

 thought that my suggestions on the subject would re- 

 quire a better or more intelligent order of men to carry 

 them out in their entirety, than the mass or majority of 

 Irish farmers. I do not think so : they only want careful 

 consideration, to ascertain their simplicity and value. I 

 commend them most diffidently to my readers, and in 

 so doing, beg them earnestly to study the whole subject ; 

 and if my suggestions do not accord with theirs, well ; 

 but by no means abandon it, but use additional energy 

 and zeal to carry out to perfection the improvements 

 of Irish agriculture, but particularly that of the small 

 holdings. 



AMERICAN PREPARATIONS FOR THE TURF.— 

 It may be, says the Liverpool Daily Post, in the recollection 

 of our readers that last seasou our judicious townsman, Mr. 

 Bell, of the Adelphi stables, shipped several first-class blood 

 brood mares for Mr. Keene, of Georgetown, Keutucky, as the 

 nucleus of a racing stud breeding establishment in that State, 

 and among the lot so sent out one mare of pure breed had 

 been secured from Arabia. Following up the same design of 

 establishing a breed of race horses, Mr. Troye, and some other 

 gentlemen with whom he is Kssociated, have just added to their 

 stud the Knight of St. George (winner of the St. Leger in 

 1 854), purchased for them by Mr. Bell from the Rawcliffe Stud 

 Company at £1200, to be sent to Kentucky. He is eight 



