TABLE showing the CROPPING of the TWOMILEHOUSE ORDINARY NATIONAL SCHOOL FARM, for 1851. 1 10 Op. Some transplanted after potatoes, and valued at 1d. per doz. to the best of my judgment. The several lots cultivated being small, and the labour thereon being alternate and divided, some paid labour and some free, I endeavoured to compute all 31st December, 1851. (Signed), PATRICK WALSH, Teacher, TIMOTHY KAVANAGH, Manager. I certify that the above Returns are correct, according to the best of my knowledge and belief, APPENDIX D. II. Appendix to Dr. Kirk patrick's Report. Ballyglass Model Farm. 47.-BALLYGLASS ORDINARY AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL FARM, County Kilkenny. January, 1852. SIR,-In compliance with your instructions, I transmit the Balance Sheet of my Farm Accounts for the current year, and also the Inventories and Valuation taken at the commencement and close of the year. The farm contains 4A. 3R. 20P., statute measure, and is divided into four equal parts, on which a four-course rotation is followed. The crops cultivated this year are-one half the farm under oats, half of which is laid down with clover and grass seeds; the other half under a manured green crop, viz., turnips, parsnips, and cabbage. Clover is a crop which very rarely succeeds in this place. The failure of it on my farm in the year 1850, rendered it necessary for me this year to manure that portion of land where it failed, and to sow a crop of turnips in its place. The organic matter of the soil of this farm was completely exhausted a few years ago by burning; its exhaustion was still further effected by the successive repetition of grain crops, previous to its coming into connexion with the school, a practice not long since very prevalent in this locality. The elevation of this land not being less than 500 feet above the level of the sea, vegetation proceeds very slowly till about the middle of May, consequently the harvest is proportionably late. The boys work one hour each day very willingly on the farm, and also read a lesson daily in the Agricultural Class Book. The fact of Lord Bessborough giving various prizes to the Thomas Kirkpatrick, Esq., M.D., BALLYGLASS ORDINARY AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL, County Kilkenny. VALUATION and INVENTORY taken at the close of 1851. VALUATION and INVENTORY taken at the commencement APPENDIX D. patrick's Report. to Dr. Kirk II. Appendix Model Farm. Ballyglass Dr. £6 3 0 SUMMARY of the Year and BALANCE SHEET. To Amount Valuation commencement of year, of Rent and Taxes, &c., paid for Seed and Manure, paid for Cattle this year, paid for Labour, of gratuitous Labour, Profit being gained this year, TABLE showing the CROPPING of the BALLYGLASS ORDINARY AGRICULTURAL NATIONAL SCHOOL FARM, for 1851. ප 16 stones, 6 barrels, . 2 11 6 £ s. d. 10 8 6p. APPENDIX D. patrick's Report. to Dr. Kirk II. Appendix Model Farm. Ballyglass Observations, Partial failure from drought this season. 8 5 6p. Suffered from drought. A. R. P. Cabbage, 0 1 10 Mar., April, & May, June, July, & Aug., 3,656 plants, 10 3 11 6 . I certify that the above Returns are correct, according to the best of my knowledge and belief, 6th January, 1832. JOHN BLACKET, Manager, 48. OONING ORDINARY AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL, County Kilkenny. December 31, 1851. SIR,-In compliance with your instructions, I transmit to you the "Balance Sheet" of the Accounts of the Farm attached to this School, together with the Inventories and Valuation taken at the commencement and close of the year 1851. The farm contains 4 acres, 2 roods, and 7 perches, which I have divided into four equal parts, on which a fourcourse rotation is carried out. The cropping for the present. year was as follows:-one-fourth of the whole, potatoes, turnips, and mangels, a portion of the turnips being preceded by winter vetches and rape, as stolen crops; half under oatshalf the oats being laid down with clover and Italian rye grass seeds; one-fourth under clover and grass. About the end of autumn I trenched that portion intended for green crops, with the exception of the piece under the stolen crop, to the depth of eighteen inches. In the months of March and April I planted the potatoes; they grew up very luxuriantly, and promised an abundant crop, till they were cut off by the blight, by which I consider half the crop has been destroyed. As the potatoes were planted in ridges, I sowed in April, in the northern brow, cabbages, about 6 feet apart, which produced an abundance of green feeding for cattle. The vetches supplied feeding for my cow till about the middle of June, when the clover became fit for cutting, and was used for soiling during the summer. Then, till about the middle of October, I had all the mangel leaves that began to turn yellow carefully removed; this process was repeated from time to time till all were used. The oat crop proved nearly a failure. Owing to the ravages of the wire-worm, nearly half the plants showed symptoms of decline about the end of May, and gradually died away, so they never attained maturity. On examination it was found the root had expanded into a large bulb. This disease was very general in the neighbourhood. The pupils work very well an hour each day on the farm, and the dislike they manifested towards it at the commencement is gradually disappearing. The advanced classes read a lesson daily in the "Agricultural Class Book," and are fre quently exercised in pointing out the errors prevalent in Irish farming, with the measures by which they should be remedied. I have also a class of boys who perfectly understand M'Arthur's Agricultural Catechism. This is mainly attributable to the competition excited by the liberal prizes given by the Earl of Bessborough to the pupils who distinguish themselves APPENDIX D. II. Appendix to Dr. Kirk patrick's Report. Ooning Model Farm. |