few year ago. Miss Netterville's woods near Woodbrook are under the same mismanagement; birch and other inferior kinds incumbering the ground, the greater part a swamp from want of draining, and, as usual, they are grazed to account for this ruinous practice, it is a `part of the wood ranger's perquisites. Occidental plane stands the westerly winds at Merlin Park, the seat of Mrs. Blake, close to the bay of Galway, better than many trees that are esteemed more hardy; they shoct late in the spring, when all danger from frost or winds is nearly over. Canada and Carolina poplars also stand the western blast, and in a very dry, thin, limestone soil. A very strong proof of the losses that are suf fered by the indiscriminating predilection for oak, in soils not adapted to them, may be seen near Craghwell; oak of about 26 years growth not more than about twelve feet high, whilst larch of the same age near them may be sawed into boards. It is a general idea that horse chestnut will not thrive in bog; I have seen many instances of a contrary tendency; amongst others, they are in a very thriving state in a bog at Woodlawn, where indeed most kinds of trees are flourishing in improved bog. At Clonfert also may be seen very fine old ash trees in bog of several feet in depth. I am fond of multiplying the proofs of the capability of drained bogs, to produce many trees and crops, that stubborn ignorance and the vanity of your mighty sensible people will not allow them to do. There are probably more fine ash trees than of any other kind in this county. An uncommon fine one at Mount Bellew, called Cromwell's tree, as tradition says it was planted when he was in Ireland. Also at St. Clerans, some very fine ones may be seen. There are multitudes of other fine ash that I do not immediately recollect; I hope I shall be forgiven by those who possess them. It would be unpardonable not to mention the Doniry ash, on the road between Loughrea and Portumna. When I saw it in 1803, it was in a state of great decay. It was so large, that I was informed a weaver worked at his loom in it, and his family lived with him in it. It was surrounded with iron hoops, which I hope have preserved it. When Mr. Hardy saw it some years since, it measured at four feet from the ground, 42 feet in circumference; at six feet high, 33 feet round. About 25 years before Mr. Hardy measured it, a school had been kept in it. At Kiltolla there is an uncommonly fine and immense ash tree, called De Ginckle's tree. Tradition says that General and his officers sheltered under it after the battle of Aghrim, on their way to Galway. A decided preference is given to ash by buyers in general, and for this reason it is very difficult to protect them at all ages; this has hitherto prevented many from planting them, but latterly a great number have been planted. When they are plenty enough to be within the reach of the poor man's pocket, this complaint will scarcely ever be heard. Their value and scarcity must have been great even in the time of Henry VIII. when every Irishman within the English pale, having a plough, was obliged to plant 12 ash trees in the ditches and closes of his farm, on pain of forfeiting two shillings; a large sum at that period. There are very few orchards in this county that produce cider for sale, and indeed, from the sample I have tasted in most private houses, the less they make the better, if the proprietors are determined to adhere to their present system of mismanagement. I have scarcely ever drank any cider made in this county that did not require sugar to be added to make it palatable. In the appendix I have given the method of making the best kind of cider, from the scientific and practical directions of Mr. Knight; it seems to be the best that has yet been published. SECTION XVII. STATE OF THE EFFECTS OF THE ENCOURAGE MENT HERETOFORE GIVEN BY THE ROYAL THE following list of bounties paid by the Royal Dublin Society, will prove the spirit of planting it gave birth to. The bounties have very properly been discontinued for some years; in this, as in most other affairs, the chief benefit to be derived is from pointing the attention to the subject. To make men think for themselves is the chief object to be obtained; in fact whatever wants a bounty to support it is seldom worth notice, and probably will be very short lived, if it has not some intrinsic merit of its own.-How much money has been jobbed away in Ireland formerly, by bounties to individuals for the establishment of ill-judged speculations? Bounties given to nursery-men between the years 1768 Bounties for the following number of acres, received by gentlemen in the same period. The bounty to nursery-men was of infinite use, as several extensive nurseries were established in this county, that probably would not otherwise have been. Since that period the nursery business has been at a low ebb, as most gentlemen, as they should do, have their own nurseries.* The number of acres planted by gentlemen amount to 702, a considerable quantity in 27 years, when it is considered that those were only such as had obtained a bounty, for we cannot suppose that there was not infinitely more than that number, that did not obtain any, for nothing under 10 acres received the bounty. At the same time the names of many gentlemen occur here, that should individually have • Latterly a considerable improvement has been made in the sales at the nurseries, as a spirit of planting has become very prevalent in this county. planted more than the whole amount; such were, amongst some others, The Right Hon. Denis Bowes Daly. Sir Thomas Burke. Earl of Clanrickard. Mr. Marcus Blake Lynch. Lord Riverston. Mr. Richard Martin. All proprietors of extensive mountains, well calculated to produce timber trees. It would have been a desireable condition, and I believe was intended in giving those premiums, that they should be well fenced, and thinned at the proper age, both of which, the last especially, have been grossly neglected. But the planting that calls loudly for adoption is, that of the extensive mountains and bogs that occur so frequently in this county, with the exception of Dalyston, Roxborough, Portumna, and perhaps some few others, little has been done in this way. If the same spirit actuated the landed proprietors of this county, and I may say of Ireland, as those of Scotland, what a country would ours be! In that enlightened country (Scotland) probably more has been planted in that kind of ground by one noble proprietor, than in the whole of Ireland. There they reckon by the thousand acres, here by the acre. I suppose it was from a knowledge of this, that Mr. Loudon, a very celebrated landscape gardener in England, estimated the amount of Irish taste; for in his treatise on improving country residences, page 683, he says, with all the ardour of one solicitous for our improvement, "What might not be done in Ireland, in the civilization and improvement of the lower orders," (those wild animals with wings and tails I presume he meant)" by |