258 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



co-operate in reeommending this source of supply. Corn, 

 you all know, can be broaglit from one country to another, 

 at great distances from each other, with comparatively small 

 difficulty. It is not so with cattle ; and hence the great 

 hives of industry in England and Scotland: Shiploads of 

 corn can be drawn from any distance, from the most 

 southern and dry climate, but not so with cattle. They 

 must, therefore, have a constant dependence on Ireland for 

 an abundant supply of meat. Now, a few facts will be found 

 to confirm these general remarks. In the year 1859, I 

 compare Scotland and Ireland, and I find that, whilst the 

 number of cattle in Scotland then was 934,000, in Ireland 

 it was 3,030,000. This shows the immense preponderance 

 of cattle in this country over Scotland. With respect to 

 sheep, as I have said, it is the reverse. Whilst there were 

 in Scotland 5,685,000 sheep, in Ireland there were only 

 3,452,000. But it appears that, whether for cattle or sheep, 

 nearly half the whole surface of Ireland was devoted to 

 pasture, Now, it is obvious that with these immense 

 quantities of your capital vested in the production of live 

 stock, too much caution and vigilance cannot be taken 

 in providing against the occurrence of occasional bad sea- 

 sons, such as that, in a great measure, through which we 

 have lately passed, and which, I fear, will be found to 

 have entailed very serious injuries, especially on the small 

 class of farmers. Now, the moral to which I would draw 

 attention is this — that the country ought not to be covered 

 with stock according to the measure of the food which may 

 be produced in one or two favourable seasons. For in- 

 stance, you ought not to calculate on the abundance of one 

 year for a favourable growth of hay, at the risk of its being 

 succeeded by another jear which may prove to be very 

 short in the hay crop, whether from drought or overmuch 

 rain. To show you how difficult it is to calculate upon the 

 same sort of seasons, I may just mention that, in 1859, the 

 falling in May was less tlian one-third of the average of 

 that month — and June, too, was below the average ; whereas 

 in the present year of 18(30, the rain falling ui May was 

 five times as much as the average, and in June was more 

 than twice as much. These statistics show the necessity 

 of those who give their attention to the production and 

 rearing of stock being sure of being always provided with 

 suflacient supply of corn crops and with due provision 

 for stall-feeding. Arthur Young, a writer who wrote on 

 the agriculture of the United Kingdom in 1776, said he 

 had seen " four men hoeing turnips in a field in Ireland, 

 and that it gave him as much pleasure as if he had seen 

 four admirals." Now, we are very much in advance of 

 this state of things, but still this very essential growth of 

 turnips and other green crops does not seem to be increas- 

 ing as much as it ought. In 1859, there were 22,000 fewer 

 acres of turnips, than in 1858; and in 1859, there were 

 3,000 fewer acres of mangolds than in the preceding year. 

 Vetches, cabbages, and carrots show a proportionate diminu- 

 tion. Now, there was but a scant provision for the very 

 cold and unfavourable vnnter and spring through which 

 we have just passed, and I think it cannot be too much 

 inculcated upon all who have the interests of Irish agricul- 

 ture and Irish stock at heart, to pay attention to the culti- 

 vation of turnips and green crops, for I fear it will be 

 found, when the annual returns of the Eegistrar-General 

 will be made, that a serious loss has been sustained in 

 this particular branch of agriculture. The fine old Irish 

 crops of oats, which at one time was considered to be the 

 staple produce of Ireland, still maintains its old prominence 

 of being the largest crop in Ireland, potatoes holding the 

 second place, bat it is satisfactory to know that the potato, 

 which used to be grown in much larger proportion in small 

 holdings, is now sown by farmers who can better sustain 

 the loss to which that very tender plant is subjected. With 

 respect, more especially, to the agriculture of the county of 

 Cork, m which we are met together, I am happy to find 

 that there is every reason to congi-atulate the inhabitants 

 ot this old and important county of the general results of 

 their agricultural returns. Within the last twenty years, 

 there has been an increase of 100,000 acres of land pro- 

 ducing food crops of one kind or another. The corn crops 

 have diminished since 1847 by 55,000 acres, but the green 

 crops have increased to about 70,000 acres. During the 

 same penod there has been a decrease in the number of 

 horses and sheep, and an increase in thott of cattle. Twenty 



years ago there were only 152,000 head of cattle in the 

 country ; now there are 353,000 head. It would be unnatural 

 to speak of agricultural statistics in the County of Cork 

 without saying one word about butter. I find that tne num- 

 ber of firkins of butter imported a short time back — as far as 

 1847— amounted to 253,000 ; in 1859, to 420,000, or about 

 double, and the value of the butter exported annually amounts 

 to about a million of money. With reference to the agricul- 

 tural condition of Ireland, I feel I am justified in speakiug to 

 you, on the whole, in terms of congratulation and happiness. 

 The number of persons relieved from the poor-rate in Ireland 

 amount to only one per cent, on the whole population. In 

 England it amounts to four and-a-half per cent., and in Scot- 

 land to four per cent. The expenditure on the relief of pau- 

 pers in England is 6s., in Scotland 43., and in Ireland Is. 6d. 

 Then with respect to the mud cabins, which were formerly 

 the great barbarisms of the country, and which excited the 

 sneers and condemnation of all travellers, and also the regret 

 of all those public-spirited independent men, who mourned 

 over the state of things which they were unable to relieve. The 

 mud cabins in Ireland, which amounted ia 1841 to 461,000, 

 have now diminished to 125,000. _The number of emigrants 

 from the country, which had been sensibly diminishing for 

 some years back, has somewhat increased for the present year. 

 And they are a superior class of persons from that which 

 formed the bulk of former emigrations. They now even com- 

 prise many young persons of both sexes who have been com- 

 paratively well educated, and who hope to find in some less 

 crowded community a better market for their industry, and a 

 more adequate demand for their natural and acquired intelli- 

 gence. This is hardly a symptom we should be justified in 

 repining at. The success of those who go out will prove a 

 stimulus both to those who are induced to follow them beneatb 

 other skies, and also to those who cling to their native soil 

 and to their accustomed homes. Already, the wages of the 

 working man, and I am inclined to look upon this as the most 

 hopeful and the most agreeable sign of the times, have gene- 

 rally and considerably improved, and they frequently now 

 rule, I should say, three times as much as what they were, 

 when many of us were young. Education has been much 

 more widely extended amongst the people, and | is improved 

 both in quality and quantity ; and we may gather from the 

 official returns, from the addresses and charges of judges, and 

 from the experience which every one of you find at your doors, 

 that with increasing knowledge, we have decreasing crime. I 

 do not, my lords and gentlemen, pretend to say that there are 

 no drawbacks to this improving picture, no ecattering clouds 

 amidst this brightening sky ; but I do tell all the ill-wishers 

 to the country's welfare and all the disturbers of the country's 

 peace, that we have better hopes and better omens : 



" Fond, impious man ! Think'st thou yon sanguine cloud, 

 Raised by thy breatli, can quench the orb of day ? 

 To-morrow he repairs his golden flood, > 



And warms the nations with redoubled ray." 



The Chairman, in reply for his health, said, I deeply feel 

 the kind manner iu which His Excellency has been pleased to 

 propose this toast, and the warm reception with which you 

 have equally been pleased to honour it; and believe me, I do 

 not attribute any part of that reception to personal merit on 

 my own part. I gratefully accept it as an indication of your 

 regard to the office which I have the honour temporarily to 

 hold, and your good feelings towards the Society of which I 

 am here as the representative. I have had the honour of being 

 a member of it since its earliest formation, and have for many 

 years watched its progress with feelings of the greatest inte- 

 rest. That progress I find, from retuins which I have pro- 

 cured, was in the beginning somewhat chequered, but within 

 the last ten years the progress has been rapid and decided, 

 owing, I will say, in a great measure, to the unwearied eflforta 

 of my friend, Captain Croker, who, with so much credit to 

 himself and satisfaction to the whole country, ably sustained 

 the office of our secretary. I find that within the last ten years 

 our numbers have doubled. Now, though this is in a degree 

 satisfactory, I am still bound to say that the numbers of 

 which we at present consist do not bear any adequate propor- 

 tion, or at least such a proportion as it ought, to the owners 

 and proprietors of land in Ireland, many of whom I should 

 wish to see carolled among our members. Gentlemen, this 

 society, at its first formation, had three objects proposed for 

 its labours. The first was the annual shows to be held, if 



