success on firm bog, with no other manure than the ashes of the same soil. Permanent meadows may be formed on bog, more productive than on any other soil. Timber may be raised, especially firs, larch, spruce and all the aquatics on deep bog; and the plantations are fenced at little expense; and with a due application of manure every description of white crops may be raised upon bog; and I know no soil from which they can be extracted without it.

There is this advantage in the cultivation of bog, that any species of soil will act as a manure to it, even the siliceous sand of Rinville having that effect; but this admixture of foreign soil, though highly beneficial, is not essential to the improvement of bog; fallowing and manure, such as dung or lime, will convert the bog-stuff itself into a soil; and extract large crops from it, so that there is nothing desperate in the cultivation of bog upon a basis of rock.

Bog-stuff is also of great value as a manure, either by mixing it in compost with kelp, lime, or dung, or by soaking it with putrid or salt water, or even rain or river water, provided its texture is well broken. In the limestone countries round Lough Corrib, the lower part of the bog-stuff or "moreen," as it is called, is much used as

manure, after being some time exposed to air and moisture. Turf ashes also are well known as a valuable manure either on firm bog or clayey upland.

The first operation necessary in the cultivation of bogs, is drainage; it should be so managed as to have also the effect of inclosing; and in most cases it may be made to facilitate the formation of roads and small canals, on the application of

water.

Where the bogs have much inequality of surface, the position of drains and inclosures will be regulated by circumstances; care must always be taken to cut off the upper and foreign water, by a catch-drain under the banks, ere it spread on any part of the level bog, and to have an appropriate channel for carrying off the water from every hollow on the surface.

Bog-stuff being impermeable to water, cannot be drained through the under strata.

In the greater level bogs, I would still recommend a subdivision into square compartments of ten acres each, by ditches or drains 6 feet wide at top and 4 or 5 feet deep. Then small cross drains or furrows, at 7 or 8 perches asunder, parallel to that side which has least fall, of 1 foot wide, and a foot or more in depth, giving them a

fall in the bottom, if there be none in the ground. The drains must be allowed, especially in wet bogs, to run for a year or two ere anything farther be attempted; they must be annually scoured and preserved of their proper depth.

If dung is to be had, the best system is undoubtedly to plant potatoes, either in beds or drills; the furrows running down the fall, will complete the drainage, and the mampulations of the potatoe crop hasten the formation of the soil; or instead of potatoes, a crop of turnips, carrots or greens may be taken.

A slight addition of dung gives a second crop of potatoes, for which, if the former were in beds, the furrows must now be changed, to complete the formation of the soil.

The trenches being then levelled, so as not to bury the improved soil, the land is sown with a white crop, as oats, rye, wheat, &c., laid down with grass-seeds; and when in grass, a top-dressing of lime, gravel, earth or sand applied. After 3 or 4 years meadow and pasture, it is again broken up, and the second rotation of crops will greatly exceed the first in value.

LOUGH CORRIB.-This lake occupies 30,000 Irish acres, and contains about 1000 acres of arable land and its isles; much of its shore is bog and

barren limestone rock. Its surface is only 13 feet 9 inches above high water, and the medium rise in floods is about 3 feet. Could it be lowered a few feet, (its drainage is out of the question,) a great extent of land would be gained round its shores, and much valuable bottom saved from being overflowed when it swells.

The mill interest of Galway would be a powerful obstacle to lowering the lake, as the whole fall is occupied; something might, nevertheless, be done, by clearing and deepening the channel, taking away some eel-weirs and shoals; the upper mill weirs should also be carefully attended to, there being a natural temptation to heighten them.

The river has very little fall to the Wood Quay of Galway, and is navigated by boats drawing four feet water, carrying 14 tons, with one square sail and four men. They seldom sail unless before the wind, though the lake has many islets and sunken rocks; the only serious difficulty in the navigation, is at the Buachaly Shoal, about 4 miles up the lake, and at Newcastle. These shoals could be deepened for a small sum, and the whole made to admit vessels of much greater magnitude.

This fine navigation, which extends about 30 miles, and into a sea-port town, seems to deserve

much more attention than it has yet received. A good chart, with soundings and sailing directions, should be published; the shoals and rocks cleared or beaconed, and a communication opened with the sea.

There will be only two locks required, which (exclusive of the purchase of property of no great value), would cost about £ 6000. I should propose them to be of large dimensions, so as to admit vessels of burden, as this would give to Galway all the advantages of wet docks; two weirs in the river, at the upper level of these locks, will secure a much better supply and greater fall to the different mills, and give every one of them a water-carriage up and down; neither of which is enjoyed by any of them at present, The river and lake being deepened across the shoals, small vessels may run up into the lake and carry up sea manure as a back freight for the turf, which would greatly benefit the agriculture of the interior.

Galway and its neighbourhood has given birth to several men of great distinction; amongst those deserving especial mention are the illustrious Richard and Walter Blake Kirwan, the former, an