410 
Illustrations of Irish Farming. 
proportion of the cereal crops grown on his farm, in the shape 
of beef, mutton, and wool. Besides home-grown food, he pur- 
chases annually about 300/. worth of linseed cake, while his 
outlay for artificial manures reaches fully 800/. per annum. 
Among the manures are 40 tons of rough bones from South 
America, and as large a quantity as he can procure from persons 
who go about the country gathering bones. The bones are 
broken down, and dissolved partially with sulphuric acid. The 
effect of bone dressings on the crops at Cloona Castle, Mr. 
Simson describes as something wonderful ; and, therefore, while 
gradually going over the entire farm with bone-manure, he has 
dressed some parts twice, and even thrice with it. 
- The land in Mr. Simson's occupation, as already intimated, 
consists of two farms, namely, Cloona Castle and Gallows- 
Hill farm ; but they are practically one farm. Lord Lucan had 
put up steadings at each farm, of a plain, but substantial cha- 
racter. The buildings erected by his Lordship were considered, 
at the time, as likely to be amply sufficient ; but such has been 
the effect of Mr. Simson's system of management, that he has 
been obliged to add 1200 feet of shedding (cattle boxes, &c.), at 
his own expense, in order to .accommodate the cattle, and this 
addition is barely adequate to accommodate all the stock. The 
additional shedding is partly thatched, partly slated, and partly 
covered with thin plates of iron, each row of plates overlapping 
that which is under it, and this Mr. Simson considers the best 
roof. Two 8-horse power fixed steam-engines — one at each 
place — drive the barn machinery, cake and corn crushers, bone 
mills, and timber-sawing machinery. The water obtained from 
wells in the district being highly charged with lime, Mr. Simson 
has every building spouted, and the rain water collected into 
tanks. The engines are supplied from these tanks, and the rain 
wator so collected is also used for all household purposes, after 
being first boiled, and then filtered through charcoal. By using 
rain water incrustation in the inside of the boilers of the engines 
is prevented. Turf is the fuel used to heat the engines. The 
same methodical arrangement which is carried out in all depart- 
ments of Mr. Simson's farm management extends to the cart and 
implement sheds. Each ploughman or carter has his own space 
allotted to him, where everything he requires is stored ; the 
good rule of " a place for everything, and everything in its 
place," being a standing law at Cloona Castle. A forge and 
carpenter's shop are essential adjuncts, where so much requires 
to be done, and the smith and carpenter have constant 
emplovment. 
Mr. Simson has drained a large extent of land since he 
became tenant of Cloona Castle, and he is still doing so, not- 
