334 A LIFE'S WORK IN IRELAND. 



profits tenants in other parts of Ireland had made in 

 this way. He had, indeed, made it a condition, when 

 he gave Pat the farm, that he should grow these crops ; 

 and as Pat had no reason to think that hrs landlord 

 would advise him for his hurt, he resolved to try this 

 new plan, although, to say the truth, his old father had, 

 before his death, spoken against it ; and besides it vexed 

 him much to be laughed at by his neighbours for his 

 pains. 



He began with only a couple of acres of clover, and 

 half an acre of turnips ; and though the first year the 

 turnips were not very good, yet they were a great help 

 to his two cows (for he, too, had like his neighbour 

 Tim, at first, but two cows). The cows gave him more 

 milk through the winter than they had ever done be- 

 fore, and he made something by the butter. Besides, 

 as he was very careful to follow the advice of keeping 

 them as much as possible in the house, he certainly had 

 much more manure than he had ever had before. In the 

 spring, his clover came on ; but on cutting it, he soon 

 found that even though he gave it to his horse as well 

 as to his cows, there would be more of it than they 

 could eat. He, therefore, made a cock of hay of part 

 of the first cutting, and resolved to rear the calves his 

 cows had given him, which would help to eat the second 

 cutting, and still further increase his manure. This 

 year, too, he prepared his land better for turnips, by 

 breaking it early in the winter ; and the turnips of the 

 former year having increased his stock of manure, he 

 was able to allow a larger share of it to the turnips of 

 this year. His crop was accordingly excellent far be- 

 yond what he had expected ; and now the laugh began 

 to be on his side, and instead of his neighbours laugh- 



