M E R C R A. 337 



cellent. Oxen he has ufed for tillage, &c. 1 8 

 years, inftead of horfes ; works them in com- 

 mon yokes, and bows 4 or 6 in a plough •, but 

 he thinks that four horfes will do more work 

 in a day than four oxen : yet finds the latter 

 incomparably the moft profitable. Mules he 

 finds of the greateft ufe. They are much longer 

 lived than horfes, hardier, eafier fed, and more 

 profitable : but this is principally applicable to 

 the fmall Irifti mule, and not the large ones 

 from Spanifh aflcs, which are not fo hardy, and 

 more liable to diforders. They are never fed 

 fo well.as horfes, yet go through more labour: 

 and are much fuperior to them for carrying 

 burdens. One caution, however, mould be 

 ufed in relation to their food. If wheat ftraw 

 is cut into chaff and given, it will kill them; 

 the late bifhop of Elphin loft all his mutes by 

 it. Mr. Cooper has fattened many hogs on po- 

 tatoes, and he has found that raw potatoes will 

 fatten them very well, but the fat will be flabby 

 and greafy : but if the potatoes are parboiled, 

 and well iprinkled with fait, the flefh will be 

 firm, and perfectly good. He once tried fatten- 

 ing a cow on them, and fhe did admirably, but 

 eat fo much, that at the very lowcft price it 

 would not anfwer to give them. He has im- 

 proved much land by hollow draining, has done 

 it with fods, and found that it anfwers per- 

 fedly. 



Sligo is the only fea-port of this country, and 

 the ftate of its trade may be taken, as no bad ex- 

 planation of the improvement of the country 

 around it with which it communicates. 



Vol. I. Z A view 



