Ballynagrieve, the estate of Earl Clancarty, but no use is made of it by his tenants, as far as I was informed. There is also a considerable bed of limestone with large shells, in the river near Mr. Martin's at Oughterard, part of which forms a charming natural cascade. Limestone of various kinds has been discovered by the late indefatigable Mr. Donald Stewart in the Sliebhbaughta mountains, as shall be mentioned in the list of minerals.

The soil of this county generally produces every crop in abundance. The wheat, particularly that which is produced to the southward of Galway, is amongst the best in Ireland, producing that fine bread to be found in Galway, Tuam and other towns, and in almost every gentleman's house.

The barley and oats, from the introduction of better kinds than were formerly sowed, from the benefit of an extensive export, and from the establishment of extensive breweries at Newcastle and Galway, have been greatly improved in their quality, and the quantity astonishingly multiplied: this shews plainly, if it could be doubted, the incalculable benefit of a free export of

corn.

From the general mode of fencing in many parts of this county, by dry stone walls, a stranger riding through the country is at a loss to know where so much corn as he sees in November around every village and cotttage is produced; for where this fence is used, except immediately under the eye on each side of the road, he can perceive nothing but stone walls as far as the sight can reach, but the building of those walls enables the farmer to clear his land, and produce fine crops of potatoes and corn on land that before this improvement was not worth five shillings an acre.-It

must be confessed that the country between Gort or Monivue and Galway is not calculated to impress a a stranger with a favorable opinion of its tillage, yet there is scarcely any part of the county so susceptible of improvement as that extensive, and at present dreary tract. It has been all formerly under tillage of the most destructive kind, the usual running out one of Ireland, and has in most instances reverted to its original heath. If, on the contrary, limestone gravel, which I am informed is in almost every field, was liberally used, fences made with good hedges and ditches (in which this county is very deficient), and a proper rotation of crops pursued, followed by clover, ray grass, and other green crops, it would change the face of this desert, and instead of being, as at present, used for winterage for a few cattle or sheep, would in a short time become uncommonly productive of corn, and at the same time maintain more cattle and sheep than at present. I shall have occasion to mention this subject again.

Compared to many other parts of Ireland, this county, with the exception of Cunnemara and Slieubrechten mountains, is generally flat and uninteresting, and requires considerable skill and patience to produce picturesque effect; it must almost generally be effected by planting alone, without much assistance from water or rocks; for though the first frequently occurs, yet it is generally accompanied by flat, uninteresting ground, and requires more time, patience and taste to produce picturesque effect by trees, than most improvers posses; and the latter, though in many places scattered over the ground in great profusion, are seldom of that character, or so happily placed that a man of taste would wish to introduce them into his scenery.

A great quantity of ground has been cleared of stones, which seems to be the favourite improvement of this county, and it is astonishing the expense some gentlemen go to, that would not lay out a guinea in draining or improving their bogs, or planting; but it is the Galway hobby horse, and it must be confessed, has been rode frequently with great address and profit. I only wish that my hobby should be occasionally rode; if with skill, he will be found as pleasant and profitable as the other; if not, he is apt to leave his rider in the dirt.

There are very extensive tracts of ground too full of rocks to be cleared with any profit, and which at present rear only a few sheep, that could be planted with infinitely more profit than can be made by dwindled sheep or half starved cattle. They occur to a large amount near Castle Taylor, that great range of country beginning at Persse lodge, and running for several miles into Burrin in the county of Clare; also in the neighbourhood of Galway, Rahasane, Creggclare, Menlough, Rahoon, Craghowell, &c. &c.

About thirty years ago one third of this county was estimated to be bog, mountain or lake; but since this calculation was made, great improvements have taken place in the mountains, and some in the bogs, and since the beneficial, but much abused practice of burning the surface in such situations has been adopted, a still greater portion of our waste land must be added to tillage; but I regret I cannot say any land has been added by the drainage of lakes. An immense addition could be made by lowering Lough Corrib, which could be easily effected, I imagine, near Well-park. An attempt was formerly made in a good direction to accomplish this, why it did not proceed I am to learn. I should think the mill-sites on this outlet would

more than pay the expense of the work, as the fall is so considerable, and the supply so abundant that they might be near each other, and the materials for building and supply of corn and fuel, &c. could be brought by water from the counties of Mayo and Clare; and, as a further inducement, there is fine limestone on the spot. Amongst the many lakes or Turloughs that could be drained, or at least lowered, Turlough-more, near Tuam, that near Rahasane, and that extensive chain from Castle Hacket to Shruel, are the most conspicuous: they are only occasionally flooded in winter, and want chiefly an enlargement and deepening of the outlet, or a confinement of the stream to a bed sufficiently capacious to accomplish this. The proprietors of these Turloughs have been wishing these fifty years this had been done, but speak to individuals on the subject, and they are unanimous in nothing but a desire to throw the expence on any one but themselves.— These Turloughs maintain about seven or eight sheep to the acre for about four months, but in wet seasons they are of little value.

The country about Ballynahinch, the seat of Thomas Barnwall Martin, Esq. is extremely bold and highly picturesque, totally different from any thing to be met with in any other part of this county. I am grieved to say, that nature has all the merit; she has had little assistance, though an almost constant residence for upwards of fifty years would lead one to expect that a small part at least of a large income would have been annually expended in improvements. Mr. Thomas Martin, who is a young man, and has only lately got possession of Ballynahinch, is, as I am informed, making preparations to plant extensively, and may hope to see his plantations of considerable size and value; but the scale of planting here must be totally different from

that usually adopted; here it must be reckoned by the hundred acres, by whole mountains; not like the tame thin screens or belts of the followers of Browne, disgracing many places in this county; the outline must agree in character and extent with the bold and picturesque one of the stupendous Twelve Pins, rising majestically from the charming lake of Ballynahinch, and connecting it with the other beautiful lakes and rivers in its neighbourhood. What a paradise would Ballynahinch be now, had the same spirit and taste that actuate the men of fortune in Scotland, or many of the gentlemen of this county, been exerted here; but from Mr. Thomas Martin's love for planting, and every improvement, we may hope Ballynahinch may become what it should have been.

The neighbourhood of Loughrea, before very beautiful, has been greatly improved by a new line of road to Dalyston, the noble seat of the late Right Honorable Denis Bowes Daly. The grounds around this lake are most happily adapted for planting, and I am not a little surprised they have not been long since thickly inhabited.

A very fine vein of land begins at Gort, runs through Roxborough and Castleboy, spreading for some distance chiefly in a northern direction; from thence it proceeds towards Loughrea, and continues in a southern tract to Dalyston. This line includes Coorine, the estate of Earl Clancarty; Park, the estate of the late Right Hon. D. B. Daly; and Grola, the estate of Sir John Burke of Marble-hill: it continues in this line, and comprehends the fine lands of Pallas, Potumna, Eyrecourt, &c. and from thence with some variation to Aghrim. It has been said that this is a continuation of the celebrated golden vein of the county of Limerick ; which, after running through the county of Clare, is