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Title: Letter to the Tenants on the Killyfaddy Estate, Co Tyrone.
ID3731
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
Filemaxwell, j.w/19
Year1844
SenderMaxwell, J.W.
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationlandowner
Sender Religionunknown
OriginFinnebrogue, Co. Down, N.Ireland
DestinationKillyfaddy Estate, Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland
Recipienttenants on the estate
Recipient Genderunknown
Relationshipestate owner to his tenants
SourceD/1444/6: Presented by H.W. McCoy, The Old Manor, Ashley, King's Somborne, Stockbridge, Hants
ArchiveThe Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
Doc. No.709016
Date02/04/1844
Partial Date
Doc. TypeLET
LogDocument Added by JM, 11/09/07
Word Count741
Genre
Note
TranscriptMY FRIENDS,
As the time for sowing Grass-Seeds, and where
the land suits, Clover-Seeds, has now arrived. I
have to call your particular attention to this
department of Farming. On my last visit to
you, I was certainly dissappointed [disappointed?]
by seeing so little use made of the GRASSES, over
a large portion of the, Property, and I then recommended
generally, that you should sow GRASS-SEEDS on all land
that had been manured the year before. I intend, if
blessed by God with such health as will enable me, to
see you every spring; and I expect, on my next visit,
which I hope will be about the end of this month, to find
that you, have acted on my suggestions: My advice, on
this and other matters, is given to you from a conviction
of the great advantages arising to yourselves, and I
therefore hereby inform you, that unless you act on my
advice, you cannot continue to receive my assistance, or
the beneficial allowances I have made you. In every case,
where my Agent reports to me that you have neglected to
fulfil my wishes, I will withdraw from the Tenant, so
acting, the Reduction of Rent I have made, and all other
advantages I have offered to afford him.
You know that last Spring I made a very
particular inspection of all. your Farms, and I
came. to the conclusion, that the following would
be the most suitable rotation of Crops for your
exhausted and badly managed Farms:--
I. A rotation of Crops; which, will keep
one-half the Farm in Grain and Green
Crops, and the other half in Grass.
1844-Sow out last year's manured land with
Grass-Seeds alongst with Grain Crop; or
after the Grain Crop has brairded.
1845-The same field to be in Grazing or Hay,
as the land may be in condition.
1846-The same field to be in Grazing or Hay,
as the land may be in condition.
1847-The same field to be in Grazing or Hay,
as the land may be in condition.
1848- The same field to be in Grazing or Oats
Ploughed from Lea, as the land may be in
condition.
1849- The same field to be in Green Crop, viz.:
Potatoes and Turnips; One-third, at least,
Being Turnips.
as the land may be in condition.

This will bring the Farm into 3 fields in
Grass ; 2 fields in Grain Crops ; "and 1 field in
Green Crop ; and will require the Farm to be
divided into 6 fields
II. A rotatation of Crops which will keep
more than one-half the Farm in Crop.
1844- Sow out with Grass-Seeds, as in the
other rotation.
1845- The same in Grazing or Hay.
1846- The same in Grazing
1847- The same in Grazing
1848- The same in Oats, ploughed from Lea.
1849- The same in Flax, being ploughed in October,
if possible, if not in November or December;
and cross-ploughed and well cleaned
by harrowing, rolling, and hand weeding
in Spring, before the seed is sown; or,
if you prefer, One-half the field in Flax,
and one-half in Vetches, under the same
system of labour.
1850- The same field in Green Crop, viz:-
Potatoes and Turnips; One-third, at least,
being Turnips.
This will bring the Farm into 3 fields in
Grass; 2 fields in Grain Crops; and 1 field in
Flax, or Flax and Vetches; and 1 field in Green
Crop; and will require 7 fields on the farm.
I expect that every tenant, who wishes to
have any claim on my indulgence, will, this
Season, get into one or other of these Rotations.
I have appointed an Agriculturist, who will give
every advice and assistance you may require;
and it will be from him I will learn whether you
are adopting my suggestions, as he is directed
to keep a report of what every Tenant I have
may be doing in the improvement of his Farm.
Under the above improved management; I am
satisfied that the produce of your Farms will be
doubled; that is, if Draining and Liming, are
properly attended to, as I have directed and
made allowances for.
When I saw each of you on your Farms, last
Spring, I informed you that you should keep
your Cattle in their Byres during Winter, and
house-feed them ; and I hope, this; season, to
see such a preparation for Turnips, as will enable
you to carry out my directions.

I am

Your sincere well wisher,

J. W. MAXWELL.


Finnebrogue, 2d April, 1844

Transcribed by Jonathan Engstrand