OF THE COUNTY OF DOWN. 183 



manure, is faid to have been firft introduced by Mr. 

 Watfon, of Brookhill, in the county of Antrim, about 

 feventy years ago. 



Lime/tone gravel ; or a mixture of detached pieces of 

 iimeftone with the calcareous earth, which furrounds 

 it, in greater or fmaller proportions as it rifes, is ufed 

 in the neighbourhoods of Moira and Magheralin ; it is 

 a moft potent and lafting manure -, but, from the great 

 quantity required, it will not bear carriage to any con- 

 fiderable diftance. 



Marling was introduced into the barony of Lecale, 

 about eighty years ago, by the Hon. Michael Ward, 

 one of the juftices of the king's-bench ; the pit, from 

 whence it was firft raifed, is to be feen on the fide of 

 the road between Caflle-ward and Downpatrick. The 

 immediate advance in the value of Jands, on its intro- 

 duction, was above four-fold, and a corn trade was 

 opened from Strangford in confequence ; but from the 

 imprudent ufe of this manure, the land became ex- 

 haufted in fome years, and fell off in its produce very 

 much ; of late years, however, from more judicious 

 management, it has refumed its former fertility. Marie 

 has the fame effecl: as lime, only in a higher degree, of 

 enriching land, and, like it, the effeft of calling out its 

 productive qualities to its deftruftion ; and every thing, 

 that has been faid of the ill confequences of ftrong 

 liming and improper cropping, is equally 'applicable to 

 jt : the quantity ufed, about a car-load to a fquare 



perch,. 



