120 





Numerous reports have been l\'' '''«'^'^'' 'i'^.^ ' ' 

 tive ofll.e l.eneficU.I results ^vhu-hlmve fol o«. 1 

 the Bi-Plieiiiion of the sjsten, in (hfteren loca - 

 lies; in some, the snr.-ess has been ';".';M"->';- 

 othe^rs the experinuMit has imrtmlly laile. , ov^ - 

 to the inecupetenc-e of the parties on ^'"<\^ 

 nia.iacrn.ent devolved, or to the nnu.lhnf;ncss 

 of the laborers to .niderf:o the requisite exertx n. 

 Ireland is a eountry iiossessinfr, as is y.'J''«''' > 

 allowe.l, peculiar claitns upon active I'l' h ' - 

 pv ; and anionj: the schemes snggeste.! oi nnd u 

 fakeii for her improveme.,., none have me vv li 

 so lavorablc a reception, as that tor the .ec lama 

 tinn of the neglected and uncnliivated l'"'' ° ^, 

 of her soil, conducted by an mstitutiou called the 

 Iri.«|, Waste Land Improvement Socit^'y- 



This Society, it appears, with the Earl o i)c- 

 voi, at its head vvai formed in 1836, and bem, 

 incorporated by act of Parlia.nent, it obtame 1 . e 

 possession of many thonsan.ls of acres of ^^< st,^ 

 lai.d-n.ountain, and peat moss or bog-on leases 

 ot' 90 years, at a very low rent, averasing »l>"iH 

 15 loi per statute acre. The plan o the com- 

 pany was not to speculate in farmintMhemselves, 

 but re-let the whole in farms of 15 to 25 acres, 

 on leases of 31 years, at a rent varyin- Iron. 4s. 

 to 10s. per acre, undertaking at the same tune 

 to ...aUe all the roads, main drains, and fences, a 

 their own cost. In the present day, when almost 

 every town has its improvement society-, whicli 

 does little else than talk, it is cheerm;.' to hnd that 

 there is at least one institution, which aclu.div 

 vvoiks— really tries to accomplish what otliers 

 only are comented with projectinn. 



Nor has this Improvement Society acted rash- 

 ly in its operations; great caution has been em- 

 ployed in every step of its progress. Ihe nrM 

 purchase was a small mountain tract in (jilway ; 

 the second in the county of Limerick ; the tliinl 

 iuSli"o;and lastly, a wild district m Coime- 

 mara, comprising more than 7000 acres, was t.;.k- 

 en about three years since. It is a favorable fea- 

 ture of the proceedings, that the calls upon the 

 share-holders have been made at long intervals; 

 no more than £8 per share, has been paid up to 

 the present time. The afrgre^ite amount receiv- 

 ed, about £25,000, has enabled the Society-^ to 

 place the four estates, com|.rohen.lmg 10,000 

 acres, in a forward state of cultivation, i be es- 

 tate of Gleneask, in the county of Sligo, consists 

 of 5699 statute aciw, and is beautifully si'il^""';! 

 on the south-eastern slope of the Slievli Gaiif^ 

 mountains, commonly known as the Liirgan Hi Is. 

 Their heijfht is aboiit 1000 feet above the level of 

 the sea, and they overlook a valley nearly seven 

 miles in length, watered by numerous mountain 

 streams. The soil is described as " pure unnnt- 

 i.rated pent-bo^:, li-um two to eight feet in dei>lh, 

 vvith a sub-stratum of clay or uravel." A pornoii 

 of the upper slopes is laid out in pasture, well 

 adapted for reariiif; ilie lliL'hlaiid breed of eatilc, 

 of which the Society possess a thriving' herd.— 

 The steward of the estate, Mr. Lermoul, is an in- 

 dustrious North r.riton. With his wife and two 

 daughters, he occupied the house adjoining the 

 model farm, where, upon a piece of hofr reclaim- 

 ed within two years, were growinj; as hue Swed- 

 ish turnips as eouM [»■ fbund in the fertile harmiy 

 of Cork. Near the entrance fjate, staiidin{;onlhe 

 Society's land, are several whitewashed buihl- 

 in"s; "these are a police station-house, porters 

 lodtje, chapel, and national school. Proceedni'i 

 onwards alon? aline wide gravelled road, the 

 plan of the allfitments becomes visilile, marked 

 out by open drains nnd f»ri'en banks of sod, crow li- 

 ed by clipped hedges of I'm/,.'. The dwellinp 

 of the servants are built fiiciug the road, with 

 which they coimmmicate by narrow walks, bor- 

 <|ered with the alder and Lonihardy poplar. The 

 lioiisps of the li-nants arc 30 feel long, 13 feel 

 wi.le, and 8 feet hi;;h ; they are built of stone, ano 

 divided into two rooms, thatched and filazcd : the 

 cost of each to the Society beiiiK £16 .5s. The 



expense is f,'reater tl it otherwise would be, 



owin;; to the great depth to which it is necessary 

 to di^ for the Inimdation, which must In; carried 

 throi7f;h the bo-,'. The company do not, howev- 

 er, build for every tenant; they prefer to induce 

 tlie settler to build for himself, giving him assist- 

 ance from their supply of timber. This plan has 

 been ibiind to attach Ihe occupant to ihe soil 

 more .securely than if lie had been provided witli 

 a dwelling, wfiilc at the same time it serves to 

 onicken and stimulate his exertions tor the im- 

 ■" - '■ •' ... Tl.i. Societv offers 



powerful in.lticements in furtherance of this ob- 

 ..«: it gives a prize of £2 lor every acre of le- 

 claimed land, which is equal to lour years lent 

 laL higher' rate. This plan is '-- •" -- 

 ceed as, by the improved system of diaina^e, 

 the unproductive bog soon becomes a flourl^hlng 



''oil every fiirm held by the smaller occupiers. 

 „unips and clover were growing, and in many 

 instances rape an.l vetche.s. The potatoe.-- 

 luu.pers, P. elers, and Americuns-were eve 

 where excellent, and the presence "f t;vo o 

 three bead of cattle on each boldmg, showed 

 ,|,„t the accumulation of manure was certain. 

 Ti,e main drains are made from four to six ee 

 wide at top, two ami a half to three and a II 

 at bottom, and IVoin three to five feel m depili. 

 the thorough drains are two feet vyide at lop and 

 bottom, with a small channel in the centre from 

 six to eight inches in width, covered closely by 

 a sod turned the green side downwards. Ihe 

 firmness of the soil is such, that the drains re- 

 quire no lining except in the clayey ground, 

 where they are filled with stones. After di.nn- 

 ing, the surfiice is burned and limed wheti two 

 successive crops of potatoes are taken, then a 

 rrop of Aberdeen tnrni|.s, fbllowe.l by oats laid 

 down in clover. Recent analysis by Profess. 

 Kane, has shown a rich bed oi marl in the 

 neighborhoo.l to contain some of the inost im- 

 ooruint elements which can he apphe.l to th. 

 fertilization of peat. In some cases turnips bav-e 

 been raised as » first crop, thus proving the pro- 

 ductive nature of the laud. It is, '"^ever, i^- 

 eommended in prelt-rence to tins '''!;•l'';'^'" ° " 

 Inw the plan of culture thus described. Rlich 

 difticnltv was experienced in |iersnading the ig- 

 "antlish cotter to take the necessary steps to 

 , ure a s-ood cr,.p of tnri.ips. Mr. Lermont says 

 "Whenlin-sisiedon the I'l-^-'^'-'"^' ' ""''7, 

 out to nine inches distance, and showed hem 

 ,l,e distance by i^Mug uiy.x fe^^ n^ys<^li^aj';^ 

 like pnlliuL' liair out of iheir heads-some actu- 

 ally cried !" , , 

 The indispensable necessity of cleanlines3,mKl 

 the absence of all extraneous lumber in the ifai- 

 rv to sav nothing of the filthiness of keeping 

 animals in the dwelling-house, are points strong- 

 ly imi.ressed upon the minds of the tenants t.y 

 the managing director and the ever-watchful 

 steward. Those who prove relractory aie ce 

 barred from participating in the prizes which are 



would make their pi^sem capital— their labor- 

 produce Iburfold. Agricnlt..ial societies may do 

 much for those who are able to read, and aie 

 otherwise more enlightened iban their neighbors: 

 but what have they effected, co.nparatively, tor 

 the cotter tenant, unable to read— perhaps, iKe 

 some of the Gleneask tenants, unable to imiler- 

 s.aud Englisii ? He may doubtless see the rfsuWi 

 of good farn.ing at the annual shows, and, il lie 

 can aflbrd it, hear the spe^ ches and dissertations 

 at the agricultural dinners; but will tins induce 

 bim to thorough drain, subsoil p ongh, or sow 

 turnips? or, if he were willing to I""'""' "'^ I' '^ 

 |,iu, how the work should be done? Practical, 

 sound instruction, is the only mode suited to he 

 small farmer. It is not only neces.sary t. tel 

 |,i„, Init to show him bow the work is to be .loi^e. 

 ,l,e Ltimnlants of precept and regard are msuffi- 

 ..jent-nersoual in.struction, encomagenient, and 

 sut.erintei.dence, are wanting. To Mipply l ."se 

 wants, is one of the main subj-'cts ol he .^ b 

 Waste Land Improvement feo.'iety. Col. Kol iii 

 «on is not satisfied with the or.liu.-.ry ^«" ";'■'<"''"' 

 rent and arrears, but examines r.ersonallyeey 

 cottage, goes over eve.y acre of reclaimed land 

 directs,' Corrects, and encourages. A cheer ul 

 ecognitiou, a eood humored rep.-oot, a friendly 

 jest ov encouraging remark, play upon the sni- 

 face..f a well considered system of moial and 

 uhvsical improvement. Human nature, m what- 

 e e, .n..de -eqiiires some stimnlant lor the de- 

 i;.';i::.n'ofl,er faculties; aiulwhethe.-^ It be 



wealth or power, l-iize or honor, " 7'" ''.^ 

 lowly stimulant of the poor ''■"'''.'■"""-: " ,^^ 

 snbsWteiice-wbere the pressure is not tell, the 

 ^2h^er^ becomes inert, and the "t.me ei.ou.b 

 ."nd "well enough" assume the places ol labor 



""This'im-doubt involves labor and agricultural 

 kno led.re on the part of those entrusted w.t 

 le management of estates ; but men qnalifie 

 o undertake such duties are not wantmg; a 

 bow gratifying must be the «';"^""« l,^. °' " f 

 landlord who can I'oint to a large tiact of le- 

 'ellime-l mountain, or a ^^^^-' '"'l^J'^:'^^ 

 with profitable vegetation, an. say-- I h' .-i- ""^e 

 "e le acres afiord now foo.l and shelter to a 

 Ilniving peasantry, blessing, like the .piality ot 

 mel cy— ^ ^^^^^ ^^.^^ ^^_^^ ^.^^^ a„rt him ihal tnUcs." 



Chambers Journnl. 



given annually fbr draining, green crops. 



cleanliness, &c. Great emulation is excited 

 among the tenantry by these premiums, of vvbicl. 

 the agricultural are paid in money, the house- 

 hold ill kind ; and a gown or shawl to the good 

 wife" is found more effective than the purchase 

 money, where shops are so distant. The person- 

 al apiiearance and costume of the tbmale peas- 

 antry in this mounlaiu district, contrast striking- 

 ly with those of Mnnster: sm;ill regular features 

 are inm-n more li-equent; and the slovenly flonn- 

 ced cap is never seen but on married women a"' 

 the aged ; spinsters wear their hair exposed, and 

 in neat orilei. The Sunday appearance of bn'h 

 males anil females, is not only respectable _bj" 

 pictures.ine, reminding one of the Alpine Sa"- 

 bath in more favored lauds. Scarh;t and brigb' 

 blue are the li.vorile colors of the fiMiiale.s. 



Father IMatlhew has not overlooked Gleneask; 

 nearly all the tenanis are " teetotalers;" and illi- 

 cit distillation, once so prevalent ill the district, 

 is now an tin<-ommon occurrence. 



"I'ln; mia^oldabh; diilli'idlies of ii new settler 

 liming tin; first year are most considerably met 

 by tin; admirable system of Colon.;! Robinson, 

 the dir.;ctor, which provi.les bim with the means 

 of subsistence by emphiyinent, in making the 

 main <lraiu8 (Uiil felics by his own tdlotment, 

 thus rendering bim independent of the land, un- 

 til it is ma.h', by his own labor, to jiroduce a 

 cr.ip. Th.' rate of wag<;s is 8<i. p<;r day : lOd. per 

 p..rchJH paid for the feiic.;s; ■!</. per perch lor 

 the ~larg.'r main drains, an.l 2</. tor the small.'r. 

 Some good atlcnqits at a .lairy hav.- been nia.le 

 by si'veral of the small hol.lers, and IMiss L.'r- 

 inont is in.lcti.tigable in her elU.rts t.. mstrnct 

 them in lb,; making of c'nccsc, storage for whi.'h 

 is provi.lid at the ii.rmery. 



The want of capital is often talked of as the 

 cause of il.Ceclive liuiniiig among tlw oicupymg 

 tenants in Ir.lan.l ; but wlmt would cnpilal avail 

 Iheni wiihout the knowUMlge of its a\il>lic"tie ,, p 

 whereas personal )npt.r!jcfj<jp and eUCOt,li">'.geinent 



■^S^CORpTNnSTAUGUS'r 31. 1845. 



The Campaign of 1777, and the Capture of 

 BurKoyne's Army. 



Sweet is the memory of the men who longlit, 

 or ble.l, or died, in the glorious cause ol Am. i- 

 can Lbertv. The editor ol the ^ iM or, hn n 

 s .. . ,e .reat events which c.m.<ti.utc. that d.a- 



• lranspir.;.l, esteems it as his graiul privilege 

 :i;:";;lrine.l his principles on, ha, bans and, o 



bave been personally ac.piamted with man hnii 

 ;:edsoftlLewhouer.;lefi..laciorsii^ eex- 



eiting scenes as well in his own "»' y'^. ^':"' ' ' 

 Massachusetts and , be other Slates of Now l.iig- 

 1,1 Is especially in the Slate of his early a.lop- 

 Za:Ml.mgerlsia.M,.-,swlnch.,n ook haU 



with the pri.le of pre-eminence "'"Y';' l^" 

 waroftli.'ievolu,ion as mthewarol IbU fo. 



''^I.^:,rr'::hl.^'onh^M.ln.hly^;sdorv^ 



bave in any instance departed Irom that ol j. ct 

 o which our monthly shee- is more esp,-. lal . 

 de o.i it I as been [.. nolic.. "db particulardy 

 t\::e.;a,u.tlieeven,softhe ev.i.ta.m^^_^^^^ 



M.ire than a year ago n tin no 



I 



have liei-'ii tVe*! 



Ire.i.ieirtiV imieble.l h.rlavoi.. 



.-ran. I- 



;;;:i;;-i:;'::s'!;'s;:;::r;,rictsgivi,.a.^ 



lyintercstingacc.un,tof scene ban, u^^^^_^ 



,|„. northern I''-''- '\\' ': > ' ,^ '„ .a, contest. 

 „h; t.irnm.g pivot """,''' "''^^';?\:i,„ess of the 

 Tbeso extr..cts w.mv "'- 'i,!^ , ,;\,|,., several 



"••"••y ''.'""'" ';\ ,bii:h"'-"" "'"••»- 



