No. 1. 



SocieU/ of Lavd Improvers. 



15 



on leases of 31 years, at a rent varying from 

 4s. to 10s. per acre, unilertakinfj at the same 

 time to make all the ro;ids, main drains, and 

 fences, at their own cost. In the present 

 day, when almost every town has its im- 

 provement societys which does little else 

 than talk, it is cheering to find that tlierc is 

 at least one institution, whicii actually works 

 — really trios to accomplish what others only 

 are contented with projecting. 



Nor has this Impruveinent Society acted 

 rashly in its operations; great caution has 

 been employed in every step of its progress. 

 The first purchase was a small mountain 

 tract in Gal way; the second in the county 

 of Limerick; the third in Sligo; and lastly, 

 a wild district in Connemara, comprising 

 more than 7000 acres, was taken about three 

 years since. It is a favourable feature of 

 the proceedings, that the calls upon the 

 shareholders have been made at long inter- 

 vals ; no more than £8 per share, has been 

 paid up to the present time. The aggre- 

 gate amount received, about j£25,000, has 

 enabled the Society to place the four estates, 

 comprehending 10,000 acres, in a forward 

 state of cultivation. The estate of Glene- 

 ask, in the county of Sligo, consists of 56S9 

 statute acres, and is beautifully situated on 

 the south-eastern slope of the Slievh Gauft" 

 mountains, commonly known as the Lurgan 

 Hills. Their height is about 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 unmitigated peal-hog, 

 from two to eight feet in depth, with a sub- 

 stratum of clay or gravel." A portion of 

 the upper slopes is laid out in pasture, well 

 adapted for rearing the Highland breed of 

 cattle, of which the Society possesses a 

 thriving herd. The steward of the estate, 

 Mr. Lermont, is an industrious North Briton. 

 With his wife and two daughters, he occu- 

 pied the house adjoining the model farm, 

 where, upon a piece of bog reclaimed within 

 two years, were growing as fine Swedish 

 turnips as could be found in the fertile 

 barony of Cork. Near the entrance gate, 

 standing on the Society's land, are several 

 whitewashed buildings; these are a police 

 station-house, porter's lodge, chapel, and na- 

 tional .cchool. Proceeding onwards along a 

 fine wide gravelled road, the plan of the 

 allotments becomes visible, marked out by 

 open drains and green banks of sod, crowned 

 by clipped hedges of furze. The dwellings 

 of the servants are built facing the road, 

 with which they communicate by narrow 

 walks, bordered with the alder and Lom- 

 bardy poplar. The houses of the tenants 

 are 30 feet long, 13 feet wide, and 8 feet 



high; they are built of stone, and divided 

 into two rooms, thatched and glazed ; the 

 cost of each to the Society being JC16 T)?. 

 The expense is greater than it otherwise 

 would be, owing to the great depth to which 

 it is necessary to dig for the foundation, 

 which must be carried through the bog. 

 The company do not, however, build for 

 every tenant; they prefer to induce the 

 settler to build for himself, giving him as- 

 sistance from their supply of timber. This 

 plan has been found to attach the occupant 

 to the soil more securely than if he had been 

 provided with a dwelling, while at the same 

 time it serves to quicken and stimulate his 

 exertions for the improvement of the pro- 

 perty. The Society offers powerful induce- 

 mants in furtherance of this object: it gives 

 a prize of JC2 for every acre of reclaimed 

 land, which is equal to four years' rent at 

 the higher rate. This plan is found to suc- 

 ceed, as, by the improved system of drain- 

 age, the unproductive bog soon becomes a 

 flourishing field. 



On every farm held by the smaller occu- 

 piers, turnips and clover were growing, and 

 in many instances rape and vetches. The 

 potatoes — lumpers, Peelers, and Americans 

 — were everywhere excellent, and the pre- 

 sence of two or three head of cattle on each 

 holding, showed that the accumulation of 

 manure was certain. The main drains are 

 made from four to six feet wide at top, two 

 and a half to three and a half at bottom, and 

 from three to five feet in depth; the thorough 

 drains are two feet wide at top 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. 

 The firmness of the soil is such, that the 

 drains require no lining except in the clayey 

 ground, where they are filled with stones. 

 After draining, the surface is burned and 

 limed, when two successive crops of pota- 

 toes are taken, then a crop of Aberdeen tur- 

 nips, followed by oats laid down in clover. 

 Recent analysis by Professor Kane, has 

 shown a rich bed of marl in the neighbour- 

 hood to contain some of the most important 

 elements which can be applied to the fertil- 

 ization of peat. In some cases turnips have 

 been raised as a first crop, thus proving the 

 productive nature of the land. It is, how- 

 ever, recommended in preference to this 

 method, to follow the plan of culture above 

 described. Much difficulty was experienced 

 in persuading the ignorant Irish cotter to 

 take the necessary steps to insure a good 

 crop of turnips. Mr. Lermont says, " When 

 I insisted on the plants being thinned out to 

 nine inches distance, and showed them the 

 distance by pulling up a few myself, it was 



