16 TUKLOUGHS. 



(with five feet stone-and-lime walls,) with abundance of 

 lime and limestone gravel beneath the surface, and 

 plenty of turf to burn it, with a convenient homestead 

 in a good neighbourhood, and the high-road to Dublin 

 as one of its boundaries, such a farm would be taken up 

 at once at this rent in Scotland. 



We next rode to Greyhans, some miles farther south, 

 where there is an excellent dwelling-house, garden, and 

 most substantial buildings, in good order ; and where 

 one farm of 1000 acres, or two farms of from 400 to 

 600 acres, may be had. This land is well enclosed, 

 but it is more various in quality than either of the 

 former. One kind of it may consist of the finest feed- 

 ing land, old grass ; the rest is land of good quality, 

 but in wretched condition, having been held on the con- 

 acre"* system, and much exhausted; a portion consists 

 of " Turloughs " or low grounds, flooded in winter, but 

 good cattle-pasture in summer, though not sound for 

 sheep. These " Turloughs " are all expected to be 

 laid permanently dry by the arterial drainage opera- 

 tions now going on. In some places the soil lies on 

 cavernous limestone ; and when the rivers are flooded 

 by heavy rains, the water spreads through these hollow 

 underground passages, bursting up here and there to 

 the surface, in a powerful stream sufficient to turn a 

 mill, and then at some lower point disappearing as 

 mysteriously as it arose. Where these outbursts take 

 place, " Turloughs ". are formed. The whole of this 

 farm is capable of very great improvement, and will 



* For a description of con-acre, see Chap. ix. 



