Illustrations of Irish Farming. 
419 
In tlie county competition, however, which took place in 
November, followinj^ my visit to his farm, the crops being 
examined in the field, Mr. Flynn was awarded the first prize in 
his class for swedes, the weight of his crop, as reported by the 
judges, being 46 tons 19 cwt. per Irish acre, that is, about 29 
tons per imperial acre. The crop was very clean, and the head- 
lands, although not under crop, were perfectly free from weeds. 
Mr. Flynn is rather a formidable exhibitor in his class at the 
Queen's County cattle shows, and besides a number of medals he 
has carried off from these shows a large amount in money prizes. 
The whole of the farm required draining, which has been 
done at the tenant's expense, together with the erection of such 
farm offices as he required. 
His live-stock consists of 55 head of cattle of different ages, 
and 50 ewes, the lambs of which are mostly sold as butcher's 
lambs, some of the best ewe lambs being kept to replace old 
ewes. The sheep are of the pure Border Leicester blood, 
derived from the flock of Messrs. McLachlan and McCulloch, 
who occupy the farm of Bellegrove, in the same neighbourhood. 
A piece of improved bog land helps to keep the flock through 
the summer. Mr. Flynn also rears and feeds a number of Berk- 
shire swine. His farm horses are of a useful class, and very 
different from the " weeds " that were so common in the district 
a few years ago. 
Pat Clear occupies a farm of 8 Irish acres — 13 acres imperial 
— in the townland of Rath, in the immediate neighbourhood of 
the two farms described above. The rent is 2/. an Irish acre, 
or 25s. per imperial acre. This little holding, including cottage 
and out-offices, yards, &c., is altogether a model of neatness. 
The soil is a nice loam, suitable for growing all kinds of crops 
usually cultivated. The root crops were good, and free from 
weeds when I examined them ; headlands planted with cabbages ; 
in fact, there was not a vacant spot on the farm. Hedges and 
gates were in good order. The young grass is topdressed with 
guano and compost, and part of it is cut early for soiling ; hay 
is taken off the rest. Two acres are kept in permanent grass, 
as an outrun for the cows, &c. Pat Clear keeps two cows— 
sometimes three — and a horse, besides pigs and poultry, breeding 
a large number of the latter every year. His calves are fattened 
and sold as veal calves. He runs the grubber through his 
stubbles before ploughing for winter, so as to give the land an 
autumn cleaning. The crops are cut with the scythe. His rota- 
tion is oats, roots, barley, seeds. Pat Clear's holding is a very 
good illustration of what may be done by an industrious man 
on a small extent of land. 
VOL. IX. — S. S. ' 2 P 
