22 LOED LUCAN'S FAEMS. 



through the usual course of con-acre. It is uot easy to 

 imagine a situation more enticing to an extensive 

 green-crop farmer than these plains present. After 

 passing them, the soil becomes inferior. The slope 

 of the country has now fallen to the west and north, 

 and the climate is more severe with this change of 

 aspect. 



Around Castlebar, Lord Lucan is taking all the land 

 into his own hands. I walked over great part of his 

 farms, and found them well managed, and all the per- 

 manent improvements, draining and fencing (which are 

 done under the Land Improvement Act) being executed 

 with great care and skill. He has built a new and very 

 handsome and commodious farm-steading here, with 

 threshing-mill, flax-scutching apparatus, bone-crushing 

 machinery, &c. His green crops were excellent ; but 

 there is great difficulty in safely harvesting grain crops, 

 or even in extirpating weeds among the green crops, on 

 account of the long-continued wet weather, so frequently 

 experienced here in July and August. A dairy of 

 upwards of 100 milk-cows forms part of the establish- 

 ment ; and cheeses, on the Cheshire plan, are made of 

 good quality, all of which find a ready market at 6d. 

 per lb. at the dairy. 



Within a few miles of Newport, Lord Lucan has 

 an extensive tract of country, which he is enclosing. I 

 had here the good fortune to meet with his lordship, 

 when he kindly entered into many details as to the 

 management he proposed to adopt. In this place he has 

 6000 acres, which he is dividing into four farms of 1500 



