THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



437 



tliem by British farmers, that when a farm was to be 

 let, their great desire was that it"might be taken by 

 a Scotch or English farmer, for then they would be 

 sure of good employment and regularly-paid wages. 

 The young Irish lads are very easily taught, and 

 make caj)ital ploughmen, and nothing delights 

 them more than getting charge of a pair of horses. 

 The labourer has few additional comforts; but 

 there is now an almost total absence of rags, and 

 he is generally respectably clothed. Another in- 

 stance of Ireland's prosperity is the remarkable 

 decrease in the number of paupers, and conse- 

 quently in the poor rates, both of them being less 

 in Ireland than in Great Britain in proportion to 

 the population. The number of paupers receiving 

 relief in 1856, and the expenditure, were — 



Number of 



Paupers. Expenditure. 



England and Wales . . 877,667 .. £6,004,244 



Scotland 137,383 .. 629,348 



Ireland 73,083 .. 576,395 



The number of paupers in Ireland for 1857 was 

 56,094. If it were not for old persons and children, 

 the Irish poorhouses might be shut up, for the 

 expenses of the management of them in 1856 was 

 £215,202, very nearly one-half the entire outlay. 

 There is far less crime proportionally in Ireland 

 than in Great Britain. In 1856 the capital sen- 

 tences in England were 69, Scotland 3, and Ireland 

 8. The total convictions in England were 14,734 ; 

 in Scotland, 2,723 ; and in Ireland, 4,024. The 

 total convictions in Ireland in 1857 were 3,729. 

 The estimated population of the United Kingdom 

 in 1857 was — 



England and Wales 



Scotland 



Ireland 



19,304,060 

 3,064,500 

 6,047,492 



Now, a comparison between the amounts of popu- 

 lation and convictions will show that for every 

 million of individuals in each country there are 

 thrice as many capital convictions in England as 

 there are in Ireland, and double the convictions in 

 England that there are in Ireland of offences 

 punishable by transportation or penal servitude. 

 So much for the unmeaning cry of danger to 

 human life in Ireland. The climate of Ireland is 

 remarkably healthy, and has been eminently so to 

 invalid Scotchmen. Mr. Miller here mentioned 

 some cases of restoration to health after long so- 

 journs in foreign climes. There is less heat in sum- 

 mer and less cold in winter than in England, and 

 more moisture in the atmosphere. It is admira- 

 bly adapted for the growth of all kinds of green 

 crops. The soil of Ireland is, on the whole, supe- 

 rior to that of Great Britain, and yields ample re- 

 turns. Great progress has been made in draining, 



the removal of useless fences, and enlargement of 

 fields ; but there is much to do. Capital judi- 

 ciously laid out on the land would undoubtedly 

 yield an ample return. The total quantity of land 

 under crops in 1857 was — ' 



Cereal crops .. .. 



Green crops 



Flax, meadow, and clover 



2,787,716 acres 

 1,604,878 „ 

 1,467,495 „ 



The total quantity and value of live stock in 

 Ireland in 1857 was — 



Horses 



Cattle 

 Sheep 

 Pigs 



Number. 

 600,693 

 3,618,544 

 3,448,676 

 1,252,152 



Value. 



£4,805,544 



23,520,536 



3,793,543 



1,565,190 



8,920,065 £33,684,813 



The increased value of live stock since 1852 was 

 £5,150,014. The Registrar-General, in calculating 

 the value, did so according to the rates of the Cen- 

 sus Commissioners in 1851, viz., horses £8, cattle 

 £6 10s., sheep £1 2s., and pigs £1 5s.; but it is 

 certain that the prices are now about double, con- 

 quently fifty-five to sixty millions of pounds ster- 

 ling may be fairly taken as the present value of 

 live stock in Ireland. There is a large exportation 

 of live stock from Ireland to Great Britain. The 

 number of animals so exported in 1856 was 

 1,194,380, and their value about £7,271,575 ster- 

 ling. About one-eighth part of the whole live 

 stock of Ireland is annually exported to Great 

 Britain. In 1856 there were exported from Ireland 

 2,212,061 quarters of grain, of which 1,904,355 

 quarters were oats ; and there were imported 

 1,835,546 quarters, of which 910,885 quarters 

 were Indian corn and meal. During the three 

 years ending 31st March, 1856, 1857, and 1858, 

 the balances of the public funds transferred from 

 England to Ireland were £3,689,825. These facts 

 afford undoubted proof of the steady progress of 

 Ireland, and daily increasing wealth of the country. 

 Mr. Miller stated that he considered the high legal 

 rate of interest of 6 per cent, was very prejudicial 

 to Ireland. It gave to Englishmen an idea of in- 

 security in Irish loans, whereas they were far more 

 secure than loans made on English securities. It 

 was certain this high rate of interest had ruined 

 many families. Titles to property being unimpeach- 

 able when granted by the Incumbered Estates 

 Court, there is the greatest inducements to the 

 English capitalists to buy lands, or lend on the 

 security of lands. He made reference to the act 

 4th and 5th Geo. IV., cap. 29, empowering trus- 

 tees in England and Scotland to lend in Ireland 

 on real securities. Neither rent nor prices of pro- 

 perties in Ireland are one-half of what they are in 

 England or Scotland. The operations of the In- 



