STATISTICAL SURVEY OF THE COUNTY OF KILDARE. PART I. CHAPTER I. GEOGRAPHICAL STATE AND CIRCUMSTANCES. SECT. 1. Situation and Extent. KILDARE, a midland county of Leinster, is bounded on the north by Meath, on the east by Dublin and Wicklow, on the south by Carlow, and on the west by the King's and Queen's counties; containing 201,220 acres of arable, pasture, and meadow ground, and 41,035 acres of bog; total, 242,245 acres plantation measure, contained in fourteen baronies and half baronies. It is about thirty-two miles long, and twenty-one broad, mostly flat, of fine arable soil, much exhausted, as, from its vicinity to Dublin, it has been for centuries the county, from which the capital has principally drawn its supplies of grain. The population is immense, particularly in the vicinity of turbaries, where the lower orders collect to enjoy the blessing of cheap fuel, with which this county so abounds. Grand Jury assessments are made on the baronies according to the number of ploughlands in each, containing (as supposed) from one hundred and eighty to two hundred acres in a ploughland; and these are again subdivided on the different denominations of land, according to ancient return, and immemorial rate and custom, to explain which more fully tables are annexed; the relative situation of the baronies is best explained by the map. SECT. 2. Climate. In a county, where one fifth is bog, much water must lie on the surface; this of course attracts the rain from every passing cloud. It may be remarked in the summer season that, where a cloud passes over an extensive bog or river, it is arrested and drawn down; this causes the county to be subject to more moisture than any in Ireland, and this evil must continue until the kingdom be relieved by a general general drainage act, which shall compel slothful occupiers and proprietors to come forward, and contribute to such extensive drainings on a great public scale, as the legislature may in its wisdom direct, according to the benefit to be derived by each estate or property, through which such drains shall be pointed out. It is notorious that, when the Grand Canal was opened above Rathangan, from the top of the old castle of Ballyteague, twenty feet high, Rathangan church or steeple were not discernible; now and immediately after the opening, one can be seen from the base of the other, at the distance of two miles; so that here a subsiding of twenty feet was obtained, and, if locks had not been erected for the navigable purposes, no doubt but the canal would have tapped and drained all the bogs, through which it passed. From the perpetual clouds, which were formerly pendent over the isle, almost covered with bog and wood, it acquired amongst the ancients the name of the Island of mists; it is for our legislators to endeavour to dispel them, by which they would purge this climate of its impurities, render it much more wholesome, and better fitted to agricultural purposes; and, in this county alone, upwards of forty thousand acres may be made to enliven our scenes, whilst they contributed millions of tons of potatoes to promote the comforts of the poor. H 2 CHAPTER CHAPTER II. AGRICULTURE. SECT. 1. Mode of Culture. EXCEPT in a few instances where some have ventured out of the beaten track, the agriculture is the same as for the last century; viz. fallow, wheat, oats-fallow, wheat, oats, until the exhausted soil by the constant fallowing, followed by two exhausting crops, is heart-broken with its ill conducting occupier; it is then mostly left, often in high ridges, to a coat of couch-grass and time to recruit its exhausted strength. The extent of the tillage in each barony I have endeavoured to calculate, and have set down in annexed baronial tables. Potatoes are universally cultivated, mostly hitherto with the spade, which is now giving place to the plough and drill; but so averse are the lower classes of Irish farmers to any thing out of the track of their grandfathers, that I was for twenty years, before I could prevail on one of my neighbours to follow the example of my drilled culture; but so soon as one ventured and succeeded, he was followed by numbers, and drilled potatoe culture is advancing with rapid strides. Of seed wheat, twenty stones; of seed oats, twenty-eight stones; and of barley, sixteen stones are universally sowed. SECT. 2. Use of Oxen. No man cultivates to any extent without oxen for the principal drudgery of ploughing. Horses, by the Kildare farmers, are used for the carting business about the farm, the bringing corn to markets, the collection of manures, &c. &c. Even in their cars, the little poor man's bullock is constantly seen conveying sixty stones of wheat six or eight miles to market; they are always drawn by collars of curled hair or straw. Great numbers of mules are in use; they are much preferred for their easy keep, durability, smartness of foot, and length of life. Some of the most intelligent farmers give their deep summer's ploughing with four bullocks, set to work at five in the morning, and working until ten; the plough. man and driver then go to rest until two, when a fresh yoke works until seven; in this way the cattle are always fresh, and will turn a plantation acre in the day. The first ploughing of either lay or stubble is given in October and November, as thin and light as possible; only one half of the soil, intended to be |