the country belles, with their ribbands and flounces floating
in the breeze, might communicate a solitary ray of sunshine
even to the stoic's eye) and the whole scenery of the city and
neighbouring country in this direction, being grouped in a
valley thus richly embellished, watered by the Foyle, and
enclosed by the lofty mountains of Donegal and Derry,
altogether constitute this rural promenade so pleasing and
picturesque, as to cover the timid cheek of Description with
a blush of conscious incompetency, when called by her
country to the difficult task of imbuing the imagination of
her reader with a correct resemblance of the beauties of the
living scene.
These are the objects which grace the communication
between Derry and the Farm, and which constitute the
principal features of the rich and picturesque landscape
comprehended in the prospect from this seat. There is one
view, however, which may be considered as more peculi-
arly its own. The larger or more open country which we
have just attempted to describe, may be seen to equal or
superior advantage from the loftier lands above the house,
and from other elevated positions in the neighbourhood of
the river; but that which THE ATTIC OF THE HOUSE
commands, over the crystal bosom of the Foyle, to the city
of Derry, standing on a noble hill, is peculiarly its own.
In a lofty and open prospect from a field in the demesne,
considerably elevated above the house, (and which, as being
devoted to the exercise of the troops of the garrison, should
be called " the parade,") you see a large tract of country
before you, extending to the mountains ; but in the view
262 COUNTY OF LONDONDERRY,
from the attic of the house, the eye passing through a close
defile over the crystal surface of the Foyle, to the rich
cluster of beauties in THE CITY SCENE, grouped upon a
noble hill which terminates the prospect; and fastened
upon this scene with irresistible force by the lofty enclosures
of the defile through which the eye passes, and which
exclude all distant and distracting objects, the rush of pic-
turesque beauty upon the organ of vision in this single
scene is so perfectly overwhelming, that the hand would be
in danger of involuntarily extending itself to burn the
canvas that would attempt to represent it ; while the utmost
effort of Description, in her highest state of wealth, being
utterly incompetent to do it justice; she would be seen sitting
down upon the bank of the river in a posture of despair, and
yielding with reluctant pride the palm of victory to nature !
DOMESTIC IMPROVEMENTS.
Descending from the parade to the public road, you enter
through the gate to the house over a neatly sanded walk,
through a tolerably dense plantation of beech, fir, and oak,
planted about thirty years since; and which, considering
the comparative exposure of this tract of country to winds
unfavourable to the growth of timber, have made a tolerably
good progress. To high perfection they certainly have not
arrived, and probably never will ; but still as they are both
ornamental and valuable, and in connexion with the more
extended and more lightly sporting plantations upon the
elevated lands above them, contribute to enrich and beautify
the demesne, and to constitute this seat a more eminently
interesting feature in the scenery of the river and of the
shore road to Muff, than would have been possible had the
place been destitute of wood ; the patriot who surveys his
country for the valuable purpose of promoting its internal
improvement, and drawing the attention of an opulent
people to its history, will not forget to produce this proof
to the owners of the surrounding mountains, that oak will
grow in certain aspects in the region of Lough Foyle (and
SEATS, TOWNS, ETC. 263
in the argillaceous soils of Lough Neagh, they have arrived
to a perfection fit for building ships of war), and conse-
quently that even the mountain districts (exclusively of
their mineral wealth, which we have yet to learn) might be
made to produce a very different income to the purchasers
of land here, from that which they now produce to the pro-
prietors in their wild and implanted state.
Having left this little dense plantation behind you in
your approach to the house, the prospect opens upon the
left, to the hill already noticed as the parade, surmounted by
a light and extensive screen of ornamental trees the whole
way along the summit. Under the shade of this lofty
screen, a number of milch cows of the long horned Irish
breed were grazing on the surface of the soil, which
descends in a glacis towards the house; and had the pro-
prietor felt disposed to have divided that portion of his
lawn, by a sunk fence the whole way across the hill, and
to have converted the section uniting with the pleasure
ground and the approach, into a deer park lightly stocked
with those flippant animals, it would, in our humble opinion,
have been a very ornamental appendage to his demesne,
although certainly not so profitable as the use to which it is
now appropriated.
THE HOUSE, ETC.
The dwelling-house stands at a moderate distance from
the road. It approaches towards the form of a square, and
is an edifice of respectable appearance, with a noble portico
in the Grecian style, and a commodious balcony above it.
The apartments, though not extremely large, are very good,
and the views from the principal rooms, picturesque and
pleasant (as may be inferred from the description already
given of the city scene, in the prospect from its attic). That
portion of the lawn, which approximates with the house
and the approach, may be regarded as the pleasure ground,
being decorated with fancy flower knots, accommodated
with nicely sanded walks, and taken in connection with the
264 COUNTY OP LONDONDERRY,
lofty parade (encircled with a light plantation) and with the
house, garden, &c., may be considered as constituting the
tout ensemble of the home view.
SOIL AND MEASUREMENT.
The soil, from the best information we could collect, is
composed of a stiff cold clay on a substratum of slaty gravel ;
and the slaty colour of the sanded walks corresponds with
this description of the subsoil. It contains no indications
of the existence of mineral wealth that we could learn, and
is destitute of lime, the mineral of most value to the farmer;
but as a grass farm, it is excellent, and with proper cultiva-
tion and manure, produces good crops of barley and oats.
Mr. Me Clintock, the proprietor of a pretty little seat (called
Greenhaw) in the neighbourhood of the farm, informed us
that wheat of good quality, and a full average crop, has
been produced upon his land. We made farther enquiry
into the capabilities of the soil of this neighbourhood for the
production of wheat, and this was the amount of our infor-
mation, namely, that this section of the country, generally,
contains a soil not well suited to that heavy grain, although
sound wheat may be produced from certain loamy farms ;
but that the very best which these lands will grow, is less
profitable to the miller than the wheat of the southern dis-
tricts, the husk being much thicker, and consequently the
quantity of meal produced from the same weight of grain ?
much less. The lands of Greenhaw lie lower than those
of the farm, and are perhaps more rich and loamy; for
upon no other principle can we account for the difference
between these farms, as they so closely approximate. In
this respect, low lands descending towards the banks of
rivers, receive ample compensation in their loam for their
loss of prospect. For heavy crops, and feeding heavy
stock, they are infinitely superior to the lofty lands above
them; and hence for the farmer and heavy grazier, the fat
and marrowy soils on the banks of the Boyne, the Slaney,
and the Shannon (but particularly in the southern district
SEATS, TOWNS, ETC. 265
of the last river) are by far the most profitable tracts of
feeding- ground in the whole of Ireland.
Nature, in her admirable economy, has so distributed her
benefits, that no single portion of her works is supplied with
all; and from no single portion is every benefit excluded.
We need not go to the torrid and frigid zones, to shew that
the most opposite climates are thus favoured, for the proofs
are every where ; and among the rest they are found in the
lands just noticed. And, in reference to the natural history
of these, we may observe, that light hilly lime stone soils
are generally sound sheep walks ; and in a wet climate, or
a wet season in a dry one, are the best corn soils ; and yet
they would not do for heavy wheat crops, neither would they
bring heavy beef cattle to perfection.
The Farm embraces 110 acres of demesne, thus highly
cultivated, planted, and improved ; but whether the mea-
surement be English, Irish, or Scotch, we did not learn.
Its distance from Londonderry, which is the post town
to it, we have already noticed.
BALLYNAGUARD.
(Query to the Farming Societies Poem on the Broad Oak Remarks on the
Criminal Laws.)
That respectable feature of the liberties of Londonderry,
known by the name of Ballynaguard, constitutes the present
residence of Captain John Hart, and at the period of our
visit, was the property of his father, the late General Hart,
Governor of Londonderry and Culmore, and for many years
one of the representatives in parliament for the County of
Donegal.
It stands on the line of road already noticed in our
description of the Farm, nearly midway between that seat
and the village of Muff, in the County of Donegal, and
Londonderry is the post town to it. The communication
from this city to the seat upon which we have now entered,
is, consequently, through the same interesting country as
that already noticed in our description of the Farm ; but in
266 COUNTY OF LONDONDERRY,
addition to the beauties of the Foyle, the Farm, and the other
objects already described, the distinguished seats of Broom-
hall, Brookhall, and Thornhill, enrich the succeeding pros-
pect, upon one side; and a tract of country moderately
elevated, and richly cultivated and improved, extends the
whole way from the city of Deny to Ballynaguard, upon the
other.
The aspect of this seat on entering the demesne (which
stands enclosed by a stone wall upon the right, as you
approach it from Derry by the shore road) is striking, and in
this district of the city is peculiar to itself, as it presents to
the eye a fine wild prospect of mountain and water, an
ancient Danish fort, the ruins of a church, a military fort
and village (on a narrow tongue of land, which projects a
considerable distance into the river, and with its several
buildings, constitutes an interesting object in the front view.)
A dwelling-house, which, though not sufficiently elevated to
command a view of the city, nevertheless contains apattments,
large, lofty, and luminous ; and, in connection with a few
necessary improvements in plantation and gardening around
it, possesses every necessary accommodation for health and
pleasure.* A demesne,with much indeed of the beauty of wild
nature in its prospect, but exhibiting very little of the studied
formalities of art, although a site for an edifice exists on an
elevated position above the river, on which the god of science
might have reared an edifice that would have commanded
the homage of the country, in addition to a fine and flatter-
ing prospect of Londonderry and the intervening landscape,
of which the present dwelling-house is totally deprived.
* According to onr information, the ancient church of Culmore (whose
ruins are above noticed,) was occupied by the Duke of Berwick's horse
regiment, as a stable, during the siege of Derry ; and having been completely
dismantled, was never since rebuilt. The lands of Ballynaguard were also
occupied by a portion of King James' army, it being a formidable position
for the prevention of any fleet sailing up the river. The old military fort of
Culmore, (above noticed) with the adjoining houses, assuming the appearance
of a viliagc, are said to have been repaired and rendered habitable by the late
governor, General Hart.
SEATS, TOWNS, ETC. 267
Thus cheered with a view of Derry, in connection with the
river Foyle and the distant mountains, Ballynaguard would
have connected with the wild and interesting beauties of its
present view, all the charms of that richly decorated city
scene, upon which some other seats in this fine district
have so largely drawn in favour of their own beauty.
The demesne of Ballynaguard is limited to about 100
Conyngham acres ; and yet from its connection with a land
and water scene in the front view, extending much beyond
the narrow boundaries of its own dominion, the mind
receives that kind of impression which is necessarily com-
municated by the prospect of an open and extensive terri-
tory. But such is the power of nature, when she chooses
to exert it on the eye and imagination, that the narrow
boundaries of individual possession, and the limited works
of art, are all forgotten ; and the fancy, carried captive by
the spacious lake and the distant mountain, and the bold
promontory, and the blue horizon, forgets that she is
standing upon a limited spot of earth, and that the works
of nature upon which she is thus fondly pondering, are
not in any other manner an appendage to the property
which provides her with this feast, than as the heavens are
the property of the astronomer, because by his faculties
of intellect and vision, he is enabled to take a peep into
the order, harmony, and stupendous magnitude of distant
spheres.*
NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SOIL. IMPROVEMENTS.
The soil of Ballynaguard, (in its primitive state,) was soft,
spewy, and retentive of water ; but by proper cultivation,
and an admirable system of draining (executed by the late
John Hart, Esq.) it is now comparatively dry, and eminently
* Those who are desirous of having a good front view of Ballynaguard,
would do well to take their position on the lands of Coolkeiragh, the
property of Major Young, on the opposite bank of the river Foyle. It is the
only true position for taking a front view, or a good drawing of the house
and lawn of Ballynaguard.
268 COUNTY OF LONDONDERRY,
productive ; bearing, as the Captain informed us, a rotation
of five successive crops without secondary manure ! Towards
the south, it is composed of good black earth ; and in the
north-west direction, a stratum of clay exists, adapted to the
manufacture of pottery-ware, and the useful purpose of a
brick walk. That called the Quarter-land, which is situated
on the west, is reputed to be a productive gravel soil, though
of late years much impoverished by an exhausting succes-
sion of crops, usual to the tenants in this country when the
termination of their lease approaches. For this evil we know
of no remedy, save that of gentlemen stocking and culti-
vating their own lands; or otherwise giving such liberal
encouragement to tenants of character and capital, by mode-
rate rents, and good leases, as will make it their interest to
improve. In any other way, it is vain to expect that the
landlord's and the tenant's interests can be brought into a
happy and harmonious amalgamation.
Trees thrive very well in the low and sheltered soils of
this demesne ; but on the elevated positions, which are too
bleak for tender plants, the oak only will grow ; but even
this tree will not arrive at the perfection of which it is
capable in more favourable soils and climates. The argil-
laceous soils on the banks of Lough Neagh, are perhaps the
best in Ireland, for developing the capabilities of this noble
tree. In " Ireland exhibited to England," we gave a spe-
cimen, upon indisputable authority, of an oak tree (called
the royal oak,) which grew there, that produced to the pro-
prietor, between 100 and 150 ! This tree, then, in the
soils which are suited to it, is well worth cultivating. Nor
was this the only instance of the enormous growth of oak
in the region of Lough Neagh. In addition to the above,
we also published the history of another tree (called the
broad oak,) which covered an area with its branches, of
twenty-two yards in diameter! These two specimens of
Irish oak being so very remarkable, and the former being
denominated the royal oak, we appointed the latter to
SEATS, TOWNS, ETC. 269
be his Majesty's prime minister; and in these capacities,
made them the subject of two separate rhymes, in the work
just noticed, which happened to make its appearance in
London, a little after the late Lord Castlereagh had put a
period to his existence ; and from this event, which com-
municated a solemn sensation to the public mind in London
at that time, the rhyme composed on the prime minister of
the royal oak, appears to have derived a tone of solemnity,
which in other circumstances, would scarcely have influenced
the composition of such a subject. This broad oak too,
was, in some sort, emblematic ; for it grew to an ENORMOUS
SIZE, and having been chipped with a turf spade and
absorbed moisture, it was found rotten at the heart when it
fell beneath the axe ; and hence, in comparison of its service
in a sound and healthful state, it was of little value to the
owner.
As this work, in its passage through families of various
classes of rank and taste, may fall into the hands of some
individuals who have a penchant for rhyme of a grave
description, (we know too well what poetry is, to call dog-
gerel by so high a name,) we shall, as we are on the subject
of trees, submit the above stanzas on the broad oak to their
inspection. If they have nothing else to recommend them
to attention, the moral which they contain, will at least prove
the author's apology to the friends of virtue and his country,
for their republication.
THE BROAD OAK.
And thou who, next in princely rank,
With almost royal splendour shone;
How was it, e'er thy time was come,
The forest heard thy hollow moan ?
It seems corruption seiz'd thy heart,
Infus'd itself thro' all thy pow'rs
No more thou shadest weary man,
Or guards him from descending show'rs.
270 COUNTY OF LONDONDERRY,
Slow was the process, yet 'twas sure !
By which thy pride was prostrate laid;
Thy coat of mail was pierced thro',
And poison issued from the spade.
The poison'd spade was not content
To rob thee of thy days and hours,
Thro' every pore the poison went,
And deeply tainted all thy pow'rs.
Prostrate thou lay thy crown was fall'n !
Inglorious on thy sotfreign's ground ;
All nature trembled with the stroke,
And a deep silence reign' d around.
The trees assembled to behold
Thy opeh'd heart in awful plight,
How deeply rotten all was there,
The forest trembled at the sight !
And oh ! can honour's lofty pride,
And virtue's more endearing name,
Be poison'd by a Stygian smoke,
Deep issuing from a secret flame ?
Alas ! 'tis true the loftiest tree,
The purest in the forest's range,
May sink beneath corruption's pow'r,
And feel a sad and awful change.
The demon's tool may touch its bark,
The poison may diffuse its pow'r ;
The fire, commencing with a spark,
May lay it prostrate in an hour.
And art thou, tree, to us a sad
And awful moral in the shade ?
If so, how deep thy warning voice
To loftier trees above the glade.
If fell corruption taint our pow'rs,
If we betray our sacred trust,
The forest must corrupted fall,
Or lay us prostrate in the dust.
SEATS, TOWNS, ETC. 271
" One sickly sheep infects a flock,"
One tainted tree corrupts the glade ;
The axe must do its office then,
'Tis better than the poison'd spade.
CORRUPTION'S FALL is VIRTUE'S LIFE,
No virtue with its power can dwell,
>r Tis better that one tree lie low,
Than that a forest burn in h 1.
Emblem of congregated inen,
As thou, O tree, of ruthless pow'r ;
Convey your moral to the fools,
Who barb the dart of life's short hour !
On gentle gales your warning voice
Convey to Britain's loftiest soil ;
And teach her ministers to spread
Their shadow o'er a nation's toil.
So shall their roots strike deep in peace ;
So shall their top towards heav'n ascend
Then may the watchman cut them down,
Ripe for a calm and glorious end.
We have already laboured, in many essays, to turn the
attention of the landed interest of Ireland to the planting
of their mountains; and have produced some proofs of their
adaptation to the growth of oak in divers districts of the
Irish coast. This timber also has these peculiar recommen-
dations, that it is of a hardy substance, and even if it should
not arrive at full perfection, still being exclusively applica-
ble to boat and ship building of the smaller craft, as also to
the manufacture of divers vessels for mercantile and other
purposes, to which no other timber is equally well adapted,
it will always bring a remunerating price to the mountain
planter, whose property, both in value and appearance,
must derive considerable augmentation from this equally
useful and ornamental species of improvement.
Several very handsome stone and slated houses, two
272 COUNTY OF LONDONDERRY,
stories high, have been erected by Captain Hart, upon the
lands of Ballynaguard, for the accommodation of his
labourers. How these men are otherwise provided for we
know not, as we find no reference to their wages or periods
of employment in the notes before us. But if indeed these
houses may be taken as a fair sample of the system by
which they are paid and provided for, we must conclude
that " the lines have fallen to them in pleasant places."
The day on which we visited Ballynaguard and Kilderry,
happening to prove unfavourable for much walking, we had
not a convenient opportunity of either seeing or tasting
certain mineral springs which Captain Hart informed us
had been discovered on these lands ; and consequently we
know nothing more of these indications of mineral wealth,
than what we have just mentioned.
A reputed signet of King James (the lion of Scotland)
and other gems of antiquity, are said to have been found
upon the lands of Ballynaguard ; and to these have been
added many coins and curious stones, which the captain
informed us he had collected in his travels. A valuable
cup, however, which he intends for the encouragement of
agriculture in his own district, appearing to us to be of more
value to his country than the stones of India, or even the
gold of Peru, we shall copy, verbatim, the words which are
inscribed upon it.
" The gift of John Hart, of Ballynaguard, Esq. to the best
and most improving farmer of the Londonderry branch of
the North-west of Ireland Society, for three successive yeai*s."
Upon this inscription, or rather indeed upon the general
practice of the farming societies of Ireland, we shall offer
the following interrogative remark. Gentlemen, whether is
it of more importance to your country, that you should give
premiums to each other, (you, who cover hundreds, or thou-
sands of acres with your crops and flocks, and who have
access to every source of information and improvement) or
that you should apply these premiums, in the larger propor-
tion, to the improvement of stock, husbandry, manufactures,
SEATS, TOWNS, ETC. 273
education, and cottage economy, among those classes of
your tenantry, who occupy under you, between ten and one
hundred acres of your soils; and who, as professional
farmers, and men of small information, require to be stimu-
lated, by precept, premium, and example, in the march of
every species of profitable industry connected with the pro-
duce of the soil ?
Be it observed, that we are not insensible to the advan-
tages resulting from the improvement of stock, by premium,
even amongst gentlemen themselves ; because the emulation
to excel that is thus promoted, will finally benefit the pro-
fessional farmer, and every class of society connected with
the soil ; but still the improvement of those practical men,
who may be considered as the locum tenens of the landed
interest should be the great moral object of all farming
associations ; and under this conviction it is, that we hail
the agricultural seminary at Templemoyle, as one of the
best institutions for the rural improvement of Ireland, that
has yet been established on the soil of that country.
Neither are we ignorant of the great moral benefits to be.
derived by the working farmers, from those professional and
festive associations of the farming interest, which bring the
landlord and his tenantry together at a common table. In
this particular (and in that of public education, another very
important department of rural improvement) the Marquis of