326 Slow Progress of Improvements. 



It has been considered a matter of some 

 surprise, that, in the myriads of acres so exclu- 

 sively fit for florin in every province of Ireland, 

 so few examples should occur of its adop- 

 tion. In the immediate neighbourhood of Dr. 

 Richardson there is ground to a great extent 

 well adapted to it, but we did not observe any 

 sign of its cultivation. 



It took Mr. Coke eleven years to make a 

 single convert to the drill husbandry, though 

 in the midst of his own noble domain, where 

 his popularity as a farmer was justly great, and 

 where his tenants were opulent and could afford 

 to speculate on any experiment of a limited 

 nature. In this country, even with the in- 

 clination, the farmers, generally speaking, 

 would want the means to avail themselves of 

 any advantages of which they might become 

 assured, from the adoption of this or any other 

 beneficial practice. 



The inequality of the surface gives particular 

 beauty to this country, in which the general 

 state of husbandry is bad ; even the potatoe crop 

 is much neglected, and very ill managed. We 

 saw numerous small bleaching grounds, con- 

 sequent on the weaving of linen, which is here 

 carried on to some extent. 



