416 
Illustrations of Irish Farming. 
The calves are reared on milk, and some oatmeal gruel mixed 
with it. The fattening- cattle, after being in the house for some 
time, get, in addition to a full supply of roots, from 5 lbs. to 
6 lbs. each of a mixture of bean-meal and crushed oats, be- 
ginning with 2 lbs. of the mixture to each animal per day. At 
first this is given in a dry state, but, by the month of March, 
Mr. Patton damps the mixture with water, as he considers that 
roots by that time have lost some of their sap. He does not use 
cake, as he goes on the principle of using home-grown food, 
instead of purchased feeding stuffs, believing that he finds the 
best market for the produce of his farm, when he converts it at 
home into beef, butter, and pork, and there are generally half a 
score of pigs, crosses of Berkshire, feeding in the sties on the 
refuse of the farm and dairy. The small farmers of the district 
depend very much on their milch cows and pigs ; and large 
pork markets are held weekly during the season in Armagh and 
other towns. The pigs are killed at home, and the carcases 
only are sold in the markets, from whence they are sent to 
Belfast, where they are cured. 
The buildings on Mr. Patton's farm are very commodious, 
and, including an excellent dwelling-house, have all been built 
at the expense of the tenant. Owing to the sloping nature 
of the ground access is given to the upper stories from the 
outside at the back of the buildings. One. of Young's fixed 
2-horse thrashing machines, of which large numbers are to be 
met with throughout Ulster, makes excellent work ; and Mr. 
Patton is well supplied with implements and machines of all 
kinds. Amongst these is one of Gray's double-furrow ploughs, 
which, with three horses, gets over as much ground in a day as 
two 2-horse ploughs ; Young's (of Ayr) reaping and mowing 
machine, Dickson's turnip-cleaner by Hunter of Maybole, &c., 
&c. There are four work-horses on the farm, stout short-legged 
animals, and one young horse. 
The wages of farm labourers run from 85. to 9s. a week, and 
there is very regular employment in the district. Mr. Patton 
boards his regular labourers, and finds it more satisfactory than 
hiring those who have houses of their own, as he is thereby 
enabled to feed them better than they would be likely to fare 
if they supplied their own food. 
It has been stated that the old fences have been levelled, and 
new fences made, and that the farm buildings have been put up 
by the tenant. A part of the land had been drained under the 
Board of Works before Mr. Patton got possession of the farm, 
but he completed the drainage at his own expense. The drains 
are 3^ to 4 feet in depth. He has also made a considerable 
extent of good farm roads, to give access to all parts of the 
