206 October, 



REVIEWS. 



ALL ABOUT IRELAND. 



Ireland: Industrial and Agricultural. Handbook for the 

 Irish Pavilion, Glasgow International Exhibition, 190J. Dublin: 

 1901. Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for 

 Ireland. Pp. 290. With numerous illustrations. Price 2s. 6d. net. 



The new "Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for 

 Ireland " is to be congratulated most heartily, on the excellent " official 

 handbook" to the Irish Pavilion at the Glasgow Exhibition recently 

 published. 



The Editor, Mr. William P. Coyne, sayc in his preface : — " It was 

 thought well to take the opportunity afforded by the publication of such 

 a work, to make it something more — indeed, something other — than an 

 ordinary guide to the Irish Pavilion. The book opens with a description 

 of the general geological and physiographic features of the country, 

 followed by articles 011 the climate, flora, and fauna of Ireland. An 

 analysis of the economic distribution of the population is then given, 

 preliminary to an account of the internal means of communication and 

 the banking facilities of the country. The next section is devoted to 

 agricultural and technical education and art instruction. As leading up 

 to the functions of the State Departments in regard to agriculture and 

 industry, an account is given of the splendid work done by some of the 

 great voluntary associations in Ireland in developing the material re- 

 sources of the country. Two chapters are occupied with a necessarily 

 curtailed analysis of the work of the Congested Districts Board, and the 

 powers and constitution of the Department of Agriculture and Technical 

 Instruction for Ireland. The principal Institutions of Science and Art which 

 have now passed under the control of the Department are briefly described. 

 Special articles deal with agriculture, live-stock, sea and inland fisheries, 

 shipbuilding, the linen industry, the modern Irish lace industry, and 

 the art and cottage industries of Ireland." 



I have quoted this statement from the preface because it states more 

 succinctly, and probably more clearly than I could do, what was the 

 object of the Department in publishing this handbook ; and it is the 

 merest justice to the Department to say that this handbook fully carries 

 out the promise held out in the preface. No doubt, in many of the 

 articles there are statements made, and in some there are views ex- 

 pressed, with which I at least cannot fully concur ; but this must 

 necessarily happen in a work of such general character as this is, and the 

 highest praise is due to the authors for the ability, learning, candour, 

 and care shown by them in the several articles to which their names are 

 annexed, and by the Editor or his unnamed — but very able — subordinates 

 in the unsigned articles. 



Having said so much of the work as a whole, we must consider how 

 much of it comes sufficiently within the scope of the Irish Naturalist, as 



