1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



169 



superior to oat sdaw, as fodder, and contributo to the 

 support ot'liis cow in winter, lie will I'artiier observe, 

 by the (onrtli rule, that the manure for hissreen crops, 

 such as potatoes, turnips, kc. sliould be put out upon 

 that part which has been exhausted by grain, there- 

 fore let it be given to the stubble of last year's second 

 and third crop of oats; and by attending to the fifth 

 and sixth, an(i seventh rules, let him take care not to 

 have any of his land or manure wasted ; and by burn- 

 ing the ijacks of old ditches desired to be levelled, he 

 will obtain such a quantity of ashes as will enable 

 him, with his otiier manure, to sow half an acre of tur- 

 nips and an entire acre of potatoes, in place of the half 

 acre, as formerly supposed. By this means, he will 

 be able to bring in lialf an acre of the poorest part ol 

 the grazing, the remaining one and a half acres of 

 which may be used for the support of his cow, until 

 the vetches become fit for cutting, when, if he has any 

 ashes remaining, or as far as the summer manure will 

 cover, the grazing may be broken up and prepared for 

 rape. Supposing these matters to have been conduct- 

 ed upon this plan, when the turnips become ready for 

 use, it will be practicable for him to fatten his cow, 

 and sell her for a price that will enable him to make 

 up the price of two lean ones, or at least to add a hei- 

 fer to his stock. One rood of turnips is calculated to 

 fatten a cow of moderate size, that has been well fed 

 in summer, which his would have been on the vetches ; 

 therefore he would have remaining still one rood of 

 turnips, the curled kail, and v.hat rape he might have 

 got sown, to enable him to support the two cows, thus 

 supposed to be boiight, for the remainder of the year, 

 until the clover would be fit for use, which was for- 

 merly directed to be sown. 



" In considering the foregoing, I do not see any ex- 

 tra outlay which can be said to render this commence- 

 ment impracticable, nor any reason to su]iposc that 

 the person's means of paying his rent will be in a man- 

 ner curtailed; on the contrary, it appears to me that, 

 besides the additional half acre of potatoes, the vetches 

 substituted for the second crop of oats will produce, 

 by the superior keep of the cow, in milk and butter, 

 a,nd the rearing of pigs, more than double what an in- 

 ferior crop of oats would be worth ; and that by these 

 articles alone, the entire rent of a four-acre farm w-ould, 

 in common years, be paid, leaving the profit of the re- 

 mainder of the farm to go entirely to the support of 

 the family and the increase of the stock. But if it is 

 clear from this statement that the farmer's circum- 

 stances the first year will not be made worse, it is still 

 more clear that tlie second year they must be made 

 better; for it is plain he will then havemore than dou- 

 ble his former quantity of manure, (owing to the tur- 

 nip feeding and the second cow,) which, with the 

 ashes of his remaining old ditches, will be fully suffi- 

 cient to bring into cultivation all the remainder of the 

 grazing land lying out to rest, which will now be made 

 to yield him a valuable crop of potatoes and turnips, 

 and he will have the manured land of last season, 

 amounting to one and a half acres, in place of half an 

 acre, as formerly : besides all which, he will have as 

 good a crop after the vetches as after his potatoes ; and 

 thus there will be no part whatever of the entire farm 

 which will not be under profitable crop; and the clo- 

 ver, with what vetches he may think it necessary to 

 sow, will supply him with the means of feeding his 

 two cows in the house, by continuing which practice, 

 he will have sufficient manure to keep his land con- 

 stantly in good heart, and enable him to follow for the 

 future any rotation of crops he may think proper. 



"In order to make what I have said more intelligi- 

 ble, I put the statement into figures, viz : — 



" Supposed Case of a Four -Acre Farm. 

 Field No. a. r. r. 



1 In potatoes (having only one cow, 

 and not fed in the house,) he will 

 not be able to manure more than 2 

 Vol. VI— 22 



Field No. A. 



2 In oats, upon last year's potato land 

 ;j In oats, being the second crop after 



potatoes 

 •1 In oats, being the third crop after 



ditto 



- yin grazing, lying out to rest 2 







Entire Farm Acres 4 



'Proposed Crop to begin an Improved System. 



Field No. a. 



1 To be sowed in wheat or oats, being 



last season's potato ground, and 

 laid down with clover and grass 



2 To be sowed in vetches, after first 



crop of oats 



3 To be sowed in turnips of different 



kinds, 



4 > To be planted in potatoes, sup- 



5 5 posed 1 



_ f Best part of the grazing to remain 

 Q I for one cow, with vetches 1 



Acres 4 



" Secohd Year of Improved System. 



Field No. A. R. p. 



1 In clover fit for cutting 2 o 



2 In oats, (after vetches) if a se- 



cond c \v has been got, one-half 

 vetclie.: may be necessary, unless 

 cablia^e and kale are cultivated 2 



3 In barley (after turnips) laid down 



with clover and grass-seed 2 



4 In wheat (after potatoes) supposed 



planted on house manure, laid 



down with clover 2 



5 In oats (after potatoes) 2 



6 In turnips, having been trenched up 



before the frost 2 



o > In potatoes 







Acres 4 



"The ditches of Nos. 7 and 8 burned, and the pro- 

 duce of two cows fed in the house for most part of^the 

 year, will give the requisite manure ; and on a compa- 

 rison of the crops and the keep of two cows, the re- 

 turn appears to be fourfold the value of what it was, 

 with the certainty of tlie land every jear getting bet- 

 ter. 



" I think any one who will afford a few minutes' 

 consideration to the foregoing, will be of opinion that 

 a satisfactory answer has been given to the question 

 proposed, and that by a simple reference to the max- 

 ims laid down, a mode of recovery has been pointed 

 out, which cannot fail to accomplish its object, hav- 

 ing for its foundation, principles which may be suc- 

 cessfully applied to the circumstances of every such 

 farm as the case supposed ; and a more important case 

 cannot well be submitted to the consideration of the 

 friends of Ireland, in its present situation. The plan 

 recommended has been selected as affording a clear 

 and concise exemplification of the operation of the 

 principles laid down, but it is not meant to be a pre- 

 scribed course that every one should invariably follow , 

 on the contrary, it may be changed and modified in a 

 variety of ways, according to the nature of the farm. 



