OF THE COUNTY OF DOWN. 137 



which, for want of proper management, take up the 

 room of better plants. 



Mr. Templeton concludes his obfervations by faying, 

 that perhaps the natural fertility of Ireland has been 

 the caufe, that the cultivation of graffes has hitherto 

 been more neglected, than in many other countries 

 more backward in agricultural knowledge, and that 

 the introduction of the red clover (trifolium pratenfe) 

 to cultivation has in a great meafure fuperfeded all 

 other plants as green fodder. In this obfervation I 

 perfectly agree with Mr. Templeton ; for the propenfity 

 of the foil in this country to grafs is fo great, that any 

 field left to itfelf in heart, from manure and judicious 

 tillage, immediately produces gpafles of the beft kind. 

 I have heard it obierved by a perfon of confiderable 

 experience in farming, that, although by fowing hay- 

 feeds the firft year's produce wjll be greater, the fub- 

 fequent year or two will fuffer from it : this muft be 

 underflood, certainly, of ground in high heart. But, 

 while we are celebrating the fertility of our ifle, let us 

 not ungratefully pafs by the white clover (trifolium re- 

 pens), the never failing attendant on good farming, and 

 which, in defpite of the very worfl management, often 

 clothes, in winter, our fields with green, or in fummer 

 enamels them with its fragrant flowers. 



SECT. 



