HEAD OP THE BAY OF GALWAY. 55 



the south of that town. Towards Oranmore, nearly all 

 the land seemed well suited to tillage. It rises by a 

 very gentle slope from a few feet above sea-level, and 

 continues, as far as the eye can see inland, the same 

 low-lying country. It is mostly dry land, on a subsoil 

 of limestone gravel. The beach affords a supply of 

 sea-weed, but not, apparently, in any great quantity, 

 though it could be easily boated from other parts of the 

 bay, where it is said to be more abundant. The line of 

 railway to Dublin runs through this district. All the 

 land here, even within a mile of the town, is susceptible 

 of very great improvement ; and some excellent green- 

 crop farms could be had. The advantages of proximity 

 to the town of Galway, the line of railway, and the 

 beach, with a deep dry soil to work in, and a mild 

 climate, are matters which every intelligent agriculturist 

 will appreciate. About half a mile from Oranmore, I 

 walked over several hundred acres of land of the same 

 dry character — a good black earth, lying on limestone 

 or limestone gravel. The country all round seemed 

 much the same. In some places, the limestone rock 

 comes so near the surface as to render tillage impossible ; 

 but, for grazing, this kind of land is sweet and nutritious, 

 though, I should suspect, likely to suffer in a very dry 

 summer. The fences are far too numerous, and very 

 many must be removed to admit of extensive tillage- 

 farming ; but as there is little or no draining requisite, 

 the removal of old fences and heaps of stones, and the 

 rebuilding of new division walls, are the principal outlay 

 necessary, — always excepting the building of farm- 

 houses and steadings, of which there are few or none 



