of traffic; the plough, a less useful implement than the loom or shuttle, or less intellect necessary than for conducting manufacturing or mercantile pursuits.How totally ignorant of agriculture? SECTION VI. USE OF GREEN FOOD IN WINTER. THE inestimable value of green winter feeding is now, or at least ought to be, so well established in Ireland, that it were almost needless to use any argument in its favor, and nothing but the greatest perversity could induce many who should know better to treat it with neglect. It is a most fortunate circumstance that bog or moor is peculiarly fitted for the production of several kinds of green crops; under a proper system they not only produce the best rape, potatoes, turnips, cabbages, mangle wurzle, &c. but carrots and parsnips, as may or might have been seen at Woodlawn, the seat of Lord Ashtown, at Lord Norbury's near Nenagh, and several other places; but the vegetable above all others that claims our notice is certainly Fiorin grass (Gramen Richardsonium) whether we advert to the ease with which it is produced in soils of otherwise little value, the certainty of a crop, the quick return which takes place in producing a crop of six to seven tons of dry hay to the acre in the course of a few months after planting, which cannot be said of any other vegetable fit for hay; the undoubted fattening quality it possesses, from the extreme greediness with which all animals devour it, and its capability of being made into good hay in weather that would make H any other kind only fit for the dunghill; it also possesses the valuable quality of preserving the banks of lakes or rivers from being disturbed by violent surfs, which has been exemplified at Mount Bellew, especially where it had grown previous to the admission of water into the new lake; it floats to a considerable length on the water, and on the return of every wave is doubled against the bank and preserves it: the propagation of this grass is so simple, that the most ignorant labourer can do it. Where an extensive plantation is in contemplation, the method is to set apart a large piece of good ground, suppose an old potato garden, for a nursery; an acre this way will give a supply the following season for a great extent of surface; the ground should be well ploughed and harrowed, and the grass scattered thinly over it, and as much earth laid on as will just place the stolones in contact with the earth, into which they emit roots like a strawberry at every joint: it has one quality which I do not recollect any other vegetable production to possess, that of growing freely after it has been made into hay and stacked. The stolones can be easily procured from the banks and margins of rivers and bog ditches, at a very trifling expense. I saw in 1816, at Mr. Burke's, at Killimore, the ground where a crop of above seven tons to the acre of dry hay in the hay yard had grown; it was part cut-away bog, of little. value, and part was the high bank of very wet red bog, worth little. Mr. Burke left part of the crop uncut, to show to any person doubting the goodness of it; it was remarkably heavy, and in fine order for either hay or soiling. The process, after levelling the bog holes, was to spread a small quantity of manure for potatoes; shortly after they were dug, the stolones were spread and very lightly covered. This year he has made a considerable addi tion to his plantations, and intends to extend it over considerable tracts of bog; it was in February 1816, I saw this additional plantation just finished; it was made from hay that had been in stack in the yard, and had a flourishing appearance. There were many parts of the bog where a man would sink, if not prevented by the Fiorin grass; and on the high bank of red bog, that had been left as a proof piece, a heavy beast might walk, though in its original state a sheep dare not attempt it; there seemed to be uniformly the best crop where the ground was wettest. If bog has been well drained, the drains should be stopped in May, and the water thrown back into the drains, to keep the bog moist in dry weather. This will be found a useful practice in most cases, in all kinds of land. It may be objected that in many situations manure cannot be procured in any considerable quantity, so many other branches of agriculture and horticulture requiring a share: the objection would have some weight if success depended on farm-yard manure alone, but where irrigation can be practised, the objection falls to the ground, because the water, if judiciously applied, obviates every diffi. culty where irrigation is impracticable, recourse can be had to clay ashes, which can be procured in almost every situation, and the method of burning is known to almost every Irish labourer.* Where Fiorin meadows, from want of water or manure begin to fail, they can be easily renovated, by burning the surface and replanting; for this purpose the moss should be mowed, and brought to some adjacent land, not left too thick, H 2 It is amusing enough to see the fuss that is made in England about the method of burning clay into ashes, a process completely known by the most ignorant Irish labourer. I trust the English agriculturists will not adopt the abuse of so good a practice-over-cropping. and occasionally turned whilst the process of burning is going forward; no apprehension need be entertained of the loss of its vegetative quality for a much longer period than will be necessary for burning the surface: this process can be repeated as often as necessary in boggy soils that will produce yellow ashes only; white ashes are of little or no value. How must those ignorant sneerers in the sister country feel at Dr. Richardson's success? the value of Fiorin is now too well established in every part of the world, to be injured by sulky ignorance, or agricultural vanity; if it has failed with some, it must have been from mismanagement, or possibly the true Fiorin has not been obtained, for I am well convinced there are many seminal varieties. In the same soil and situation I could perceive some that produced very scanty herbage, and the strings not larger than a knitting needle, and quite different in colour; I have also observed a variety that threw out very few stolones, but grew almost in one close tuft. It is highly probable if the seed was sown in drills, and the plants singled out, many varieties might be perceived, and perhaps better than that so generally cultivated; for after all that has been said and done, our knowledge of Fiorin is far from perfection. Several gentlemen who have seen Mr. Burke's Fiorin grass, are now planting it, so much more useful is example than precept. I have not a doubt the practice will spread rapidly; seven tons of hay, worth at least £14. from ground scarcely worth any thing, speaks a language that every man understands; it speaks through his head to his pocket. Except in some few extreme cases, I imagine Fiorin should be preserved for soiling in the house, for which perhaps no vegetable that we are acquainted with can bear any comparison, still keeping in mind that it is the produce of ground of little value, though no ground can be too rich for it. The value of Fiorin has been long known in the county of Mayo. Mr. Bellew's, game-keeper, a native of that county, has been frequently employed by poor cottiers, who value it highly, to instruct them in its propagation. In the county of Galway it is frequently called hare grass, from the decided preference given to it by that animal. I understand a very good ardent spirit has been distilled from it: I wish the experiment had been rather made on beer. I perceive there is no getting away from Fiorin.- I fear my readers will think it has multiplied under my hands rather too much. The following gentlemen, amongst a few others, cul tivate green crops: Lord Clonbrock, Lord Ashtown, Lord Clancarty, Mr. Bodkin-Armagh, Mr. Hen. Blake-Renville, Mr. D'Arcy-Kiltullagh, Rev. Mr. Kelly-Castle Mr. Daly-Dunsandle, Rev. Archdeacon Butson, Sir Ross Mahon, Kelly, Lord Gort-Loughcoutra. I regret I cannot publish a longer list: through the ignorance in which I have been left, from want of information, I may have omitted the names of others who know the value of green food, but I trust the good sense of the gentlemen of the county will, before long, I have been informed lately that the effects of the spirit produced from Fiorin has not been such as to encourage repetition; but on the other hand I have been told that the experiment was tried on green Fiorin. What would the effect be if green barley had been used? |