84 ENNIS NA SHIA. 



in the mountain, for the northern slope of 

 the Slieve Ghie is tame and monotonous ; 

 but to the eye of the farmer it had its charms, 

 for the soil was mostly good, the ascent very 

 gradual, and the cultivation reaching nearly 

 to the top. It was laid out mostly in pota- 

 tos, and cultivated on what is called the 

 lazy-bed system, which, at a distance, would 

 lead one to suppose the ground was trenched 

 for asparagus. 



The Squire took out his pocket telescope, 

 and surveyed the ground again, as if there 

 was something about it that he could not 

 quite make out. 



" What on earth do those brown patches 

 mean ?" said he. " Why do those lines of 

 potatos stop suddenly in so many places, 

 though the lazy-beds are carried on ? " 



" It is the miss, your honour," said Pat. 



" The what ? " said the Squire. 



" The miss," said the Parson ; " and a 

 most unaccountable thing it is : it has ap- 

 peared only within these few last years, and 

 has ruined many a man. The potatos do 

 not come up weakly, nor do they die off, — 

 they do not come up at all, while the very 

 next bed may be a picture of health and pro- 



