Farming of East Lot! dan. 



295 



the number of farm-horses employed is about 30. By furrow- 

 draining, deep cuhivation, and latterly the application of moss, 

 land naturally very inferior, and situated from 400 to 700 feet above 

 the level of the sea, is not only producing green and grain crops 

 equal to the best land in the county, but in the case of wheat the- 

 quality is even superior. Peat-moss, taken out of a morass, Avhich 

 morass is situated in a valley, is applied to the land at the rate of 

 100 tons per acre. The moss is raised and applied by a moveable 

 raihvay, with steam-engines. By these improvements, land ori- 

 ginally not worth more than 75. per acre to rent is now worth not 

 less than 40^. 



One of the first things attended to by a tenant at the beginning 

 of his lease is to complete the drainage as speedily as possible. 

 This is usually effected during the first course of the rotation, 

 in four or six years, there being but one opinion now among 

 farmers as to the imperative necessity of effectually freeing the 

 land of superfluous moisture, with the view of profitable occu- 

 pancy. The sums obtained for this comity, under the Govern- 

 ment Drainage Acts, were very limited ; and where applied to 

 land let on lease the tenant had stipulated for the application, 

 at the same time becoming bound during the period of his 

 occupancy to pay the percentage. The usual depth of drains is 

 30 inches. Within the last few years 40 inches have become 

 fashionable, inspectors under the Government grants insisting 

 upon this depth. The distance between the drains seldom 

 exceeds 18 feet. The material now generally used is pipes 

 with or without collars : l|-inch pipes 14 inches long cost at 

 the tileries from 21s., w^ith collars 285. per thousand. The 

 number of tileries is now reduced ; there are still in operation, 

 however, about ten, but bricks and roofing tile are their chief 

 articles of manufacture. Those vrorks which furnished the 

 largest quantity of draining materials have stopped, and in some 

 instances the buildino-s have been removed. But the drainag-e 

 not yet effected, or only imperfectly done, will most probably be 

 completed with the renewal or commencement of new leases. 



The acreable produce of this county has been greatly increased 

 from two causes — thorough-drainage and the application of guano. 

 From the former the average extent under turnip has been 

 quadrupled ; from the latter the average weight of bulbs has 

 been increased by at least four tons per acre, \yithout the aid of 

 guano, manure for the breadth of land now capable of growing 

 root-crops could not have been obtained. The average produce 

 of wheat, from these two causes combined, has been raised not 

 less than eight bushels per acre. If ten were named, it would 

 not exceed the real increase. Barley and oats have also been 

 increased at least by ticelve or fourteen bushels ; beans by eight 



