40 



altitude, above which, florin unincumbered with rivals 

 became, when in exclusive possession, more vigorous. 



What then is the object of this part of my memoir ? Is 

 it not to induce the proprietors of mountain districts, in the 

 most favourable parts of these regions, by dramage, ma- 

 nure, and protection, to encourage the growth of a vege- 

 table, which we have demonstration will thrive and luxu- 

 riate in the bleakest parts of the same regions, without 

 any one of these aids ? 



But however well florin might sustain the harshness of 

 the mountain tops, it can never be desirable that our 

 meadows should approach them ; for when I talked of 

 great elevations, Mr. Critchley, who at the request of 

 the Farming Society attended me in the tour I made 

 through the Wicklow Mountains by their desire, showed 

 me, that from convenience, our meadows must always 

 approach the inhabited country, and be near to the dwell- 

 ings of the herds who were to attend to the feeding of the 

 cattle in winter, and distributing their stored provisions 

 with care and prudence. 



The measures I recommend for raising crops of excel- 

 lent hay through all mountain tracts are little expensive, 

 as will appear by my detail of the whole of them : eff*ec- 

 tual protectionis necessary, consequently strong inclosures ; 

 and these constitute the principal part of the expense. 



Nor will there be any delay in the execution, if set 

 about with spirit ; crops will rapidly follow, and the interval 

 between commencing the work, and mowing the produce, 

 will not extend to one full year. The Earl of Caledon's 

 patch, as he calls it, was begun late in February, 1815, 

 and yielded its great crop that same season. On the 14th 

 of May, I began to lay down an acre for my friend Mr. 

 Baird, at Shotts, in Scotland, and that same season he 

 mowed a better crop than had ever been cut in the countrj'. 



