BYGONE DAYS: Hopes crops will provide ‘the bounties of divine Providence’

“We are happy to have it in our power to notice, that the crops in a wide district around this town are full of the richest promise”, noted the News Letter this week in June 1845.

“The fields appear on all sides to be most flourishing and luxuriant. The recent damp weather afforded a powerful stimulus to vegetation, and the present intense glow of heat and warmth must prove exceedingly beneficial.

“We are satisfied that the most sanguine expectations may be indulged as to the abundance of the season. As far as appearances just now can be depended on, there will be a profusion of the gifts and bounties of divine Providence.”

There then followed a number of reports from across the country on the state of the crops and recent weather reports for their localities.

PACEMAKER PRESS INTL. BELFAST. Cattle Show at Balmoral. 13/2/80.
113/80/bwPACEMAKER PRESS INTL. BELFAST. Cattle Show at Balmoral. 13/2/80.
113/80/bw
PACEMAKER PRESS INTL. BELFAST. Cattle Show at Balmoral. 13/2/80. 113/80/bw

EARLY FLAX

The following report was published in the state of the flax crop: “Notwithstanding the rumours which have been for some time afloat, with regard to the failure of the flax crop, we are happy to state,that we are daily receiving – from various parts of the country – satisfactory proofs to the contrary. About three weeks since we saw a large field of flax, the property of Mr Henry O’Neill of Kilrea; and at that time pulled several stalks, which measured from twelve to fifteen inches long, in other parts of the county Derry, and we might add Antrim and Tyrone, we found it equally good. On Tuesday we were much pleased and surprised to see a sample of flax, grown by Mr P Keenan, Armagh, which measured between twenty-five and twenty-six inches. Yesterday, however, a sample from the farm of Daniel Delachorois, Esq, of Donaghadee, was left at our office, measuring thirty-one inches; and, shortly afterwards, a few stalks of an equal length taken indiscriminately from a field the property of Mr Foster, of Ballybay, was handed to us; and we have much satisfaction of stating, on the authority of Mr Foster, that the flax crop generally, in that neighbourhood, has a most promising appearance.”

THUNDER AND LIGHTNING IN FERMANAGH

The Enniskillen Chronicle provided the News Letter with a report for the crops and weather in Fermanagh.

It read: “Saturday afternoon last we had in this quarter a good deal of thunder and lightning, which was succeeded by very heavy rain. It was most seasonable, and the crops in consequence look most luxuriant. Never was there a finer prospect of abundance; corn, potatoes, and meadowing are all presenting a rapid growth. The only drawback is the gardens and orchards, which, we fear, have suffered from the lightning, particularly the apple bloom. On Tuesday also a quantity of refreshing rain fell, but the day was excessive cold, and last night it rained heavily.”

There was also a report from Maguiresbridge in the county. It reported: “Since the rain on Saturday and Tuesday the crops present a very favourable appearance in this district. There is no apprehension of a miss in the potato crop. I have been credibly informed by a person who had experience of it, that Swedish turnips sown by him before the 17th of June proved a better crop than those he had sown in the month of May. Were this tried on a small scale by farmers they could thus judge for themselves, for it is a decided fact that Swedes are the hardest and stand the winter best.”

The Chronicle also noted: “We have seen some very fine new potatoes of the ash-leaf kidney kind, which were grown in the garden of W Jones Esq, Lisgoole Abbey, under the care of Mr Edward Monaghan, gardener.”

ABUNDANT HARVEST AT ARMAGH

RUAS patron, the Duke of Westminster, is pictured presenting the award for second prize in the 1999 Balmoral Show Farm Inventions category to Joe Quinn of Dungannon. Joe received the award for a covered feed trough for use with diet feeder.RUAS patron, the Duke of Westminster, is pictured presenting the award for second prize in the 1999 Balmoral Show Farm Inventions category to Joe Quinn of Dungannon. Joe received the award for a covered feed trough for use with diet feeder.
RUAS patron, the Duke of Westminster, is pictured presenting the award for second prize in the 1999 Balmoral Show Farm Inventions category to Joe Quinn of Dungannon. Joe received the award for a covered feed trough for use with diet feeder.

There were also high hopes for the crops in Co Armagh in June 1845. The Armagh Guardian reported: “The accounts from all parts of the kingdom hold out the prospect a very abundant harvest. In our own district the crops of every description arc most promising. Rye grass - A specimen of very fine rye grass was left at our office last Tuesday. It was grown amongst clover by Mr Wm Wilson, of Derradara, Blackwatertown, and measures six foot two inches in length. Flax - We have seen a few stalks of flax, not less than 30 inches long, from a field of 11 acres in Legar Hill, the property of Hugh Treanor, Esq, of Armagh, and are assured that the whole crop is in every respect equal to the specimen. This and other evidences which we are daily in receipt of, will trust remove the unfounded report of an extensive failure in that crop this season. Early hay - The Reverend Mr Shaw, of Moy, had a quantity of upland meadow mown last week.”

‘PROCEEDING AT RAILROAD PACE’

A correspondent to the Newry Telegraph provided an insight into the conditions in that locality.

They wrote: “The present mixture of sunshine and rain is the best that could be desired for the progress of the crops towards maturity. We have had warm sunny weather, even to an unusually degree, and at intervals refreshing and genial rain. Everything, of course, connected with the productions of the earth, is proceeding at a railroad pace, and few weeks will render available, to the use of man, at least a portion of them. Potatoes that only a few days ago by no means “covered the clod”, as the farmers say, are now partially in blossom; the upland hay is being cut; and wheat, oats, barley, and flax, have advanced greatly in luxuriance. The latter article will not, by any means, be so bad a crop as was anticipated, although a considerable quantity of what is called a second growth, may be expected, owing to successive vegetation. The pasture lands, everywhere, look most beautiful, and the unusual lateness of the spring seems to already altogether be forgotten.”

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