- CARLOW, the account of which in the Encyclo pedia, under the name of CATHERLOUGH, occupies only a very few lines, lies almost entirely between the rivers Barrow and Slaney. It is about S3 Eng lish miles long, from north to south, and about 19 miles broad at its greatest breadth ; but it narrows in very much from east to west, between Kilkenny and Wexford. It is divided into five baronies, and into fifty parishes. According to Dr Beaufort, its area is 214 square miles Irish, or 344 English, equal to 137,050 Irish or .plantation acres, and 220,098 English acres. The principal towns are Carlow, Tublow, Leighlin-Bridge, Rutland, Palatine Town, Hackets-town, and Gousbridge.
The surface of the greater part of this county is pleasantly undulated; and, with the exception -of the high and rough hills which occupy the small portion of it that lies to the west of the Barrow, and the mouotainous district in the south-east, on the borders of Wexford, the hills yield little in fertility to the vales. The prevailing soil of the lowlands is a strong fertile loam, mixed with limestone, and in cumbent upon it ; and that of the uplands is gene rally a light gravel.
Mr Wakefield gives the following statement of the cultivated and uncultivated land in this.county The principal rivers are the Barrow and the Blaney ; the former runs along the whole of the western borders of the county, with the exception of a jutting part of Idrone barony; which it separates from the main body. The Barrow is navigable for barges as far as the town of Carlow, and thence there is a communication with Dublin by means of the Grand Canal. The Slaney, which rises in Wick low, crosses the eastern part of the county.
The mineralogy of Carlow is very imperfectly known. The river Barrow seems to separate the soil in this part of Ireland; to the west of it there is limestone in abundance, whereas there is none in Wexford and Wicklow ; the best in Ireland is found near Carlow. Marl and a great variety of clays are also found in this county. The mountains, called Black Stairs, from their black appearance at a dis tance, and their perpendicular height, which sepa rate Carlow from Wexford, are chiefly composed of granite. It also contains iron ore, and a consider able quantity of oxide of manganese. In the time of Charles I. there appears to have been a large iron foundery near Idof, in which, ordnance, pots, and small round furnaces, were cast. It belonged to Mr Christopher Wandsworth, Master of the Rolls in Ireland, and afterwards Deputy of that kingdom, un der the Earl of Stafford (Natural History of Ire land, p. 73, Dublin, 1726.) By the same authority we are informed, that the first coal mine was found ' out in Ireland, a few years before 1726, in the same hill, where the iron mine was.' " In that iron mine, after that for a great while they had drawn iron-ore outof it, and that, by degrees, they were gone deeper, at last, in lieu of ore, they met with sea-coal, so as ever since, all the people dwelling in those parts have used it for their firing, finding it very cheap ; for the load of an Irish car, drawn by one garcon, did stand them, besides the charges of bringing it, In nine pence only, three pence to the digger, and six pence to the owner."—" These coals are very heavy, and
burn with little flame, but lye like charcoal, and con tinue to the space of seven or eight hours, casting a very great and violent heat." (Natural History of Ireland, p. 84.) The same author informs us, that " little smith coals were dispersed every where in great quantity, and had been used by the smiths, even before the mine was discovered." At present, this mine is either forgotten, or not deemed worth working, as the county is chiefly supplied with coals from Kilkenny.
There are no large estates in this county ; and very little minute division of property. The hiring ten ant is generally the occupier, except of small pieces. The fee has been more transferred here than in any other part of Ireland. Carlow was formerly noted for the extent and luxuriance of its pastures, heft one of the greatest sheep counties in the kingdom ; but in consequence of the bounty which was granted about the year 1768, on corn conveyed by land carriage to Dublin, Mr Young 'calculated that sheep-feeding had declined so much, when he was there in 1776-8; that four farmers had a number of sheep twenty years before, than were kept in the whole county at that period. There are still, however, some excellent flocks of large wooded sheep. Four sheep of the Irish breed, and five of the English are called,a " collo_p," and three collops are allotted to two acres of the best land. But it is for its dairies that Carlow is famous ; and, in this respect, it is not excelled by any county in Ireland. The farmers spare no trouble or expence to procure good cattle for their dairies. From twenty to fifty are generally kept ; and, during the season, each cow produces on an average about 1 cwt. of butter. The dairy system pursued in Devonshire, Dorsetshire, and some of the northern counties of Ireland, of letting cows to dairymen, is followed here ; but this custom was more prevalent when the Catholics could not legally purchase land, as they then employed their capital in hiring cows. The butter made in Carlow is divided into three sorts, according to its quality. The first in point of qua lity is sent to Dublin and England, and thence ex ported to the East and West Indies. It is highly es teemed in the London market, where it is often sold as Cambridge butter. That of the second quality is exported to Spain, and the worst to Portugal. It is all packed in large casks, weighing upwards of three hundred weight.