102 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 2 



persons who are coming forward as competitors, 

 tor the first time, and who will, I have no doubt, 

 become better known to us hereafter. 



"The premiums now to be awarded are for the 

 best stocii, and are ad]ud<ied upon a comparison 

 of quality ot cattle, quantity of food, and size of 

 the larms; and the premiums consist of rollers, 

 ploughs, fans for cleaning corn, harrows, wheel- 

 barrows, &c., which it will not hereafter be neces- 

 sary to enumerate." Mr. B. then read the names 

 of the successful competitors, in the following or- 

 der: 



James Jenkins, of Drumgaw, 1st prem. 



Bartley Kinney had ceriificate for 2d do. 

 Robt. B. M'Cantrim received, however, 2d do.- 



James M'Connell, of Cornicrew, 3d do. ■ 



James Collison, of Hamilton's-bawn, 4th do. 



Samuel Parks, of Lurgyross, 5th do. 



Joseph Thompson, GrayhiUa, 6th do. 



Accordinii; to the usual practice, the health of 

 James Jenkins was given, as having obtained the 

 first premium; and he was afierwards called upon 

 to state what advantage he had derived from the 

 plan he was pursuing: this he did in a manner 

 very satisfactory to the company. He said — 



"1 am able to saj^, gentlemen, that since I have 

 followed the plan recommended hv JMr. Blacker, I 

 have been able to change my stock, witli conside- 

 rable profit to mysellj fi-om a very bad stock to a 

 very good one, as my gettinij the first premium 

 shows; and though I was then pinched to feed 

 them poorly, I have now plenty to teed thepi well; 

 and whereas I Imd only two cows, a heifijr, and a 

 pony formerly, I have now five cows, two heifers, 

 and one good horse on my sixteen acres, kept on 

 clover and vetches in summer, on cabbage at this 

 Reason of the year, and turnips in winter and spring, 

 I prefer early York and sugar loaf, and fiat Dutch 

 cabbage to the curled kail, for they give more food 

 at this season; and if the plants are put in about 

 three inches under the manure, the potatoes can 

 be dug out without injuring them, and as they 

 grow info the trench they do not overshadow or 

 injure the potatoes, as the curled kail does. I am 

 also happy to tell you, gentlemen, that I find the 

 produce of my liirm is increased, as well as mv 

 stock. Formerly I could manure but an acre and 

 a half of potatoes, and that but indifierenlly, hut 

 now I have this ye^r four acres of potatoes and 

 turnips manured in the very best fashion; and you 

 all know the more manured land you have in the 

 farm, the more grain you will get out of it. Tvlany 

 gentlemen, from distant parts, have come to see my 

 farm, and I am always glad to sec them, and have 

 always something pleasing to show them. Gen- 

 tlemen, I have nothing more to say, but that I am 

 ■well content, and determined to persevere in the 

 plan I have now been so much the better of." 



Jenkins having sat down, Bartley Kinney, of 

 Ballyorgun, was called on. He said — "1 liave 

 upon former occasions mentioned, that by follow- 

 ing the practice of house-feeding and green crops, 

 I have benefited greati}-. I have added to my 

 farm, I have added to my stock, and I have added 

 to my crop; and althouirh I anj no longer allowed 

 to compete for the premium, my ceriificate shows 

 I am persevering in the same course, which I know 

 is for my advantage." 



Samuel Parks, of Ltirgyross, being next cal|ed 

 on, said — "I hold 4a. 2r. 20p. of land, at a rent 



of £4 9s 2d: upon this I feed two cows; and afle"^ 

 providing my family, I have sold £7 worth of but- 

 ter and milk, being one-half more than my rent- 

 My covv's are house-fi?d, and in capital condition? 

 as my getting a premium shows." 



After him, Joseph Thompson, of Grayhilla, was 

 called on. He said — "I have 11a. 3r. Op. of land, 

 and on this 1 have three cows, a heifer, and ahorse. 

 The half of my land was formerly in grazing, and 

 my stock fiir inferior in number and condition. I 

 consider the four-course rotation as an excellent 

 plan, and mean to persist in it; and I think I will 

 be able to increase my stock next .season from the 

 fine appearance my clover now has." 



I should have mentioned that before calling on 

 any of the premium men to give any statement as 

 to their farms, the chairman cautioned them not to 

 say anything they could not prove, as, most prob- 

 ably, if the day admitted of it, some of the strangers 

 would visit their farms. The premiums for stock 

 having been gone over, the chairman remarked, 

 that as so much in the management of stock de- 

 pended on the females of the family, he had for- 

 merly been in the iiabit of giving as a toast, "far- 

 mers' wives and fiirmers' daughters," but he would 

 now make some litde alteration, which, he hoped, 

 would not be displeasing to the company, nor yet 

 to the parties more immediately referred to. He 

 would, therefore, call on them lo fill a bumper to 

 this, toast — "may those who are tvivcs be long so, 

 and those who are not be soon so." This the com- 

 pany insisted on drinking with all the lionors of three 

 times three. 



The chairman then introduced the reading of the 

 premiums for the best cultivated farms, according 

 to the four-course rotation, by stating that the 

 smallness of tlte quantity of land kept in grazing 

 proved in a great degree, the profitable occupation 

 of the rest of the land, and mentioned that the cer- 

 tificate had been given to Mr. Thomas Ingram, of 

 Drumhoney, who I liave, in farmer accounts, had 

 often to mention. 



The 1st premium was awarded toMichaelClarke, 

 Hamilton's-Bawn. 



2d do., divided between Ruth M'Connell, Drum- 

 black, and Robert JM'Cammon, Drumminis. 



3d, John lloire", Drumsaw. 



4th, Edward' Wallace, do, 



5th, James Ralston, Drumminis. 



The list being read out, the chairman reminded 

 Mr. Ingram, who had got the certificate, how 

 doubtflil some of the company were formerly about 

 the produce of his dairy, and asked him had he now 

 the same thing as then to say about Jjaying his 

 rent thereby? 



Mr. Ingram, being thus called on, said — "Gen- 

 tlemen, 1 cannot only say the same thing, but I can 

 say better; I hold twenty-three acres of land, and 

 nobody can say that I liold it too cheap, when 1 tell 

 them I pay £25 a-year rent. My stock is seven 

 cows, two heii(3rs, one calfj and two horses, and 

 they are all in good condition; the butter has al- 

 ready produced £26, which is a pound over the 

 rent, and I expect to make it £30 before the year 

 is otit, as the price is so high. And I will tell you 

 more, gentlemen, I had nine hundred stooks of ex- 

 cellent oats and an acreof tiax, and all nearly in and 

 well saved, so that I could make four times mj' rent 

 ofl'my fiirm." 



This account seemed to give the greatest plea- 

 sure to all present, and Mr. Ingram's health was 



