298 STROKESTOWN. 



Lanefbro'. Mr. Mahon has 500 acres of it. A 

 great fall lies every way, a good road is made 

 over it, and lime is burnt on the edges for 3d. 

 a barrel roach; befldes lime, they have lime- 

 ftone, gravel and fand every where, which laid 

 on the bog, drained or not drained, produces a 

 fheet of white clover ; what a field is this for 

 improvement, yet nothing done! Croffed the 

 Shannon, which is here a considerable river, 

 and entered Connaught, The firft appearance 

 of Strokeftown woods are very noble, from a 

 hill which looks down on them ; they are very 

 cxtenfive, of a great growth, and give a rich- 

 nefs to the view, which is a perfect contrail to 

 the dreary fcene I had patted. Mr. Mahon ne- 

 glected no means of having me well informed 

 in the following minutes: Land about Strokef- 

 town fets at 25s. The average of the whole 

 county is ns. including bog; mountain there 

 is very little. The county of Leitrim, 2s. on 

 an average. A great part of Rofcommon, par- 

 ticularly from Athlone to Boyle, 30 miles long, 

 and 10 broad, is fheep-walk, and lets on an 

 average, 1 2s. an acre. It is generally walk, 

 only patches of potatoes and corn for the work- 

 men. The foil of it lime- ftone. Thefe fheep- 

 w T alks I had heard fo much of, that I was eager 

 in my enquiries concerning them ; they were 

 fome years ago divided into much larger farms 

 than at prefent, for there were men who had 

 20,000 ihecp, whereas now 6 or 7000 is the 

 greateft flock. The farms rife to 3000 acres, 

 few under 4 or 500. They flock commonly 

 at the rate of two fheep an acre, and reckon 

 the profit to be lamb and wool, the lamb fold 



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