I mi 



On some of their land they have fallows, and wheat alternately, 

 manuring with lime. 



A mixture of the earth of the headlands with lime and rotten 

 dung, is the general manure for the ploughed lands, and soapers 

 ashes and rotten dung alone for the pasture. 



The method commonly adopted for mixing the earth, lime, and 

 dung together, is to carry the dung and spread it on the headlands, 

 or on heaps of earth collected on different parts of the field, and 

 then put the unslaked lime on the dung, covering it up with earth 

 till it is slaked, and fit for mixing ; but as the lime is by this me- 

 thod dissolved upon the dung, the richest part of the manure is 

 consumed by the lime, or carried off in vapour. 



The ploughs, drags, harrows, rollers, waggons, and carts now 

 used, are much the same as they have been for sixty years past. 

 Of late indeed the double furrow plough has been introduced, and 

 seems to gain ground ; . all who have tried it, acknowledge its su- 

 periority for light soils, and for ploughing the barley or turnip 

 land. 



Oxen are principally used, and are for the most part worked in 

 yokes ; some however are advocates for working singly in harness, 

 and there can be no doubt but oxen may be used more to advantage 

 this way, than the other. The shape of an ox's breast is peculiarly 

 ill calculated to bear the pressure of the bow, and when worked 

 hard in pairs, they are apt to get into a habit of leaning against each 

 other; by which thsir progressive motion is much impeded. But 

 of all methods, that which is practised in Portugal, Flanders, some 

 part of Ireland, and other countries, namely working them by the 

 head and horn, is, in my opinion, the best. 



I once saw on the farm of Lord Shannon, near Cork in Ireland, 

 three ploughs at work on a strong soil, drawn each by a pair of 

 oxen abreast, in a manner similar to the application of horses in 

 Norfolk. The harness consisted of a long rein of untanned leather 

 which was fixed to the yoke, and then intersected the horns two or 

 three times ; after which it passed from the back of the horn over 

 the forehead ; to prevent the bruising of which, a matting was 

 placed of sufficient thickness, to secure it from injury. In this way 

 the animals pi$hsd } rather than drew, and with apparent ease 



ploughed 



