Illustrations of Irish Farming. 
413 
The fields have been all squared, and divided by well kept 
ground hedges or wire fences. They are now generally from 8 
to 10 imperial acres in extent, but under the old system they did 
not exceed 2 or 3 acres, and the great earthen banks and hedges 
which constituted the fences at that time, took up a large extent 
of ground, which is now added to the farm by the removal of 
the old obstructions. Until recently, Mr. Patton followed a 
five-shift course, that is, the usual four-years' course extended by 
one year in pasture ; but, latterly, he has adopted a six-years' 
course, viz. : — (1) oats, (2) roots, (3) wheat, and partly oats, 
with grass-seeds ; (4) hay, (5 and 6) pasture. A little variation 
occurs in this rotation, as he grows beans to a small extent, 
also both winter and summer vetches, usually after wheat, or any 
other part of the rotation he may consider most suitable at the 
time. About 13 tons of bone manure and guano are used on 
the farm annually, besides the large quantity of farmyard manure 
which Mr. Patton's system of farming allows to be made. Bone 
manure is applied to the vetches, as farmyard dung is found to 
be too strong, and causes waste of the crop. One part of the 
farm, consisting of about 20 imperial acres, being rather steep, 
and also inferior soil, has been laid down in grass for a time, 
but it will soon require to be broken up. 
Mr. Patton was for many years a regular grower of flax, and 
his specimens of scutched flax were always certain to obtain a 
prize when exhibited at the shows of either the Royal Agricul- 
tural Society of Ireland, or of the Royal Dublin Society. He 
grew the flax crop after wheat, making the fourth year of half 
the break, grass seeds being sown with the flax, and as in the 
next rotation the flax was grown on the other half, it follows that 
flax was repeated on the same piece of land only once in 10 
years. At present he has given up growing flax, from the 
uncertainty which has of late years attended the cultivation of 
the crop in its early stages. When he did grow flax the yield 
obtained by him was generally about 40 stones of scutched flax 
to the Irish acre — say about 25 stones per imperial acre^ — and the 
price ran from 13s. to 14s. per stone. Mr. Patton occasionally 
saved the seed of part of his crop for sowing, but found that it 
was not to be depended upon, the produce being sometimes as 
good as that of the foreign seed, while at other times it was 
much inferior. 
Flax is a ticklish crop ; not to grow, perhaps, in ordinary 
years, but to handle ; and the fact that it must be brought to 
market in a partially manufactured state, that is, scutched, 
demands the greatest care and caution on the part of the grower 
throughout the difTerent preparatory stages. The yield and 
price will be affected by the stage of growth which the plant 
