2C0 NORTH-EAST AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 



authorised to take such steps as they might consider desirable for promoting 

 the growth of Irish flax. This committee, feehng that it was advisable to 

 proceed gradually and cautiously in carrying out any extensive measures 

 involving a heavy expenditure, more especially as the funds at their disposal 

 were so very limited, confined themselves to revising and publishing in their 

 amended form the instructions compiled by the late Royal Flax Improve- 

 ment Society. These instructions met with general approval, inasmuch as 

 applications for supplies were received from the farmers, local societies, flax 

 merchants, and spinners throughout the kingdom, as well as from Russia 

 and other European States and America. In addition to these labours the 

 Association made a large increase at the annual show to the prizes offered 

 for Irish flax and flax-seed, and had the gratification of learning that those 

 efforts met with the approval of the landed proprietors of Ulster, many of 

 whom, although not residing nor having property within the district of the 

 Association, united themselves with it as members. According to the Agri- 

 cultural Returns, it appears that the extent of land under flax in i860 was 

 128,595 acres, and in 1861, 147,866 acres, showing an increase of 19,271 

 acres in the latter year. This satisfactory result was mainly owing to the 

 efforts made by this and other kindred associations, aided, no doubt, by the 

 remunerative prices of the fibre during the preceding season. The diffusion 

 of instruction and information on the subject of flax cultivation, especially in 

 the south and west of Ireland, where such instruction had been most 

 required, occupied for many years the attention of the Association, and the 

 committee had the gratification of learning from many growers in those 

 provinces that, by simply following the printed " directions " supplied to 

 them, and without any further aid, they had succeeded in producing good 

 and remunerative crops, for which they had found a ready sale by consigning 

 it to Belfast. In all cases the committee took particular care to caution 

 growers against placing more than a small proportion of their respective 

 holdings under flax, in consequence of the uncertain character of the 

 crop. 



A winter show of fat stock, poultry, roots, cereals, flax, flax-seed, butter, 

 and cheese was held by the Association on 5th December, i860. From the 

 unfavourable character of the previous year, which had proved detrimental 

 to similar exhibitions held elsewhere, the committee did not expect a large 

 exhibition, but even taking this drawback into consideration, the success of 

 the show was not sufficiently marked to warrant its continuance. 



In connection with the annual show, held in 1 870, the Association inaugu- 

 rated a trial of mowing machines and double furrow ploughs. There were 

 twenty-five of the former and nineteen of the latter entered. The ground 

 selected was the Ulster Model Farm, Balmoral, Belfast, generously granted 

 for that purpose by the Commissioners of National Education. The nature 

 of the soil was such as to fully test the capacity of the most improved imple- 

 ments. This test of the practical working powers of the several machines 

 afforded great gratification to the farming public, many of whom came from 

 great distances to witness the trial. Trials of mowing machines, hay ted- 

 ders, and horse rakes were held with marked success on the Model Farm 

 in 1 87 1 and 1873. ^^ ^^e former year, forty-seven machmes were entered 

 for competition, and fifty-five in the latter. Although no prizes were offered, 

 many eminent makers from England and Scotland, as well as in Ireland, 

 were represented. The committee, however, had been appealed to to dis- 

 pense with these exhibitions in consequence of the disadvantage under 



