292 A LIFE'S WORK IN IRELAND. 



The Home Farm approaches 1000 acres in extent, 

 including some outlying land let to dairymen. From 

 200 to 220 acres are annually devoted to crops. Sixty 

 acres of roots are grown, which, with the exception of 

 6 or 7 acres of mangels and a little carrots for the 

 farm horses, are all turnips. The climate is rather cold 

 and the situation too exposed to bring the mangels 

 to perfection. 100 acres of grain, all oats, are pro- 

 duced ; GO acres are annually sown with seeds, part 

 of which is converted into hay in the first season, the 

 ground being subsequently pastured for a number of 

 years. There are besides 20 acres of old irrigated 

 meadow, which, after being cut in the summer, are 

 grazed in autumn. Finally there are about 700 or 

 800 acres of permanent grass. 



It will thus be seen that the rotation is what is 

 known in Ireland as the convertible husbandry system, 

 by which the land, after being cultivated, manured, and 

 cleaned for a few years, is relaid down with fresh and 

 suitable "seeds." There is a judicious admixture of 

 tillage and stock farming, or what is called " mixed " 

 management, which of all others is the best adapted to 

 the circumstances of this country. 



By drainage, trenching, subsoiling, clearing of stones, 

 furze, coarse herbage, liming, manuring, and the pursuit 

 of the course of cropping here indicated, Mr. Bence 

 Jones has reclaimed upwards of 400 acres. A good 

 deal of the farm did not, however, require drainage ; but 

 the fields have been enlarged and squared fences built, 

 and a vast quantity of planting effected. The land is 

 generally rather light in texture, and some of it rests 

 upon an open subsoil ; hence drainage in this case was 

 unnecessary. 



