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The Country Gentleman's Magazine 



We have often heard that the rules and re- 

 gulations which have been made by the 

 Privy Council, in reference to the importa- 

 tion of cattle into Ireland, have had a very 

 injurious effect upon the country ; but I 

 think that the statistics which I have quoted 

 will shew that these regulations have no such 

 effect as that. At this moment, when that 

 dire enemy of farmers, the rinderpest, has 

 appeared upon the shores of England, it is 

 worth while, acting on the wish for the pro- 

 tection of their own stock, for the farmers to 

 submit to any regulations that might be 

 necessary in order to drive away the fearful 

 calamity from our shores. We may con- 

 gratulate ourselves that the experience which 

 we have had in former years in England 

 caused the Government of the country to take 

 exceptionally severe measures for the preven- 

 tion of the rinderpest being imported from 

 England, by means of these regulations. 

 I hope that the plague has been stayed in 

 the various parts of the country in which it 

 has been discovered, and I sincerely, as we 

 all sincerely, hope that we shall not be visited 

 with this terrible disaster. Since I came to 

 this country I know of what importance it is 

 to those who reside in this province ; but I 

 wish I could congratulate the Society on the 

 success of the efforts which have been made 

 for the promotion of the growth of flax in 

 other parts of the country. 1 believe that 

 the cultivation of flax is one of extreme diffi- 

 culty — that it requires the greatest possible 

 attention to bring it to maturity; but it is 

 hardly to be expected that it would be sud- 

 denly and rapidly introduced into the part of 

 Ireland where it was not hitherto known up 

 to recent years. Her Majesty's Government 



had made a grant for the extension of this 

 object. Although they had the advantage of 

 the assistance of the Society, I regret that 

 the Government were not more successful 

 in the extension of the cultivation of flax 

 in the western and southern provinces of 

 Ireland. It shews how extremely difficult 

 it is for the Government, by mere grants of 

 money, to force any new branch of industry 

 into the country. There is, however, another 

 mode of Government assistance which has 

 been more successful than applications for 

 public money. I refer to the applications 

 for loans that have been made. I once 

 before, in 1869, referred to the improvement 

 in property which resulted from the advantage 

 that was taken of the public loans taken from 

 the grants by the Board of Public Works in 

 Ireland. It appears that ;^84,ooo were 

 is?ued in 1869 and 1870 in the way of loans 

 by the Board of Works in this country for 

 the improvement of the land. I thought it 

 would be satisfactory to find how much was 

 done in this way last year, and I find there 

 was an increase, and I find also that the 

 largest sum paid by the Board of Works was 

 paid last year. In 1869, when the sum of 

 ^^82,550 was advanced for that purpose, one- 

 half being for farm buildings, I think that 

 shews that, although there may be still, in 

 some places, hesitation as to the working of 

 the Land Act, that measure has not stopped 

 improvement on the part of the owners of 

 farms — a statement which was often made 

 when the Land Bill was being discussed and 

 before it was passed. I am glad to refer 

 to that fact, and I think that after men- 

 tioning it I may make no further reference 

 to figures. 



