OF THE COUNTY OF DOWN. 79 



6th. No other culture is beflowed on the growing 

 wheat, than pulling out the larger weeds, and ib*me- 

 times rolling, and harrowing, which lafl is found very 

 advantageous, except in one inftance, where a gentle- 

 man covered a thin piece of wheat with frefti foil, 

 which increafed the fize of the heads to an extraordi- 

 nary degree. Top-drefling is fo feldom ufed it need 

 fcarcely be regiflered ; but I have tried turf-afhes with 

 effec"t, both thofe made in the houfe, and thofe burned 

 in the air for the purpofe ; the quantity confiderable, 

 from twenty to thirty car-loads per acre. Where it 

 was laid, it could ba diftinguifhed at the diflance of 

 half a mile. 



7th. Harvejl is- not very regular ; that, which is 

 fown in autumn, is generally earlier than oats or 

 barley, that fown in fpring about a fortnight later. 

 Wheat is bound in double {traps here, and immediately 

 llooked, in which fituation it remains until fit to bring 

 in. Thofe, who have a confiderable quantity, flack it 

 on hovels, to keep it fafe from vermin. All grain in 

 this country is flacked out of doors, as the climate will 

 not admit of a large quantity being houfed at harveft. 



8th". Threjfjing. For feed wheat is generally laflied, 

 as in this way the grains are not bruifed by the feet, 

 nor b/ the flail. And for the market it is the better 

 way, as the befl grain is got out without the fmall 

 being mixed j after lafhing the fheaves are tied up and, 



threftucd, 



