~ 
104 REPORT—1849. 
On the Agricultural Statistics of Ireland. By G. R. Porter, F.R.S. 
A volume of considerable interest and importance, entitled ‘Returns of Agri- 
cultural Produce in Ireland in the year 1848,’ has recently been distributed to the 
members of the two Houses of Parliament, and it is thought that a short abstract of 
its contents may prove interesting to the Section. This volume more than fulfils the 
promise set forth in its title-page, since it comprises also the returns of agricultural 
stock and produce in the preceding year, 1847, and thus enables us to draw a compa- 
rison between the two years as regards this most important branch of the national in- 
dustry, under circumstances which give to such a comparison an interest far greater 
than it would have possessed at almost any other period. The returns have been ob- 
tained at the desire of Lord Clarendon, under the direction of Capt. Larcom of the 
Royal Engineers, who, it will be remembered, read before this Section at the meeting 
of the Association held at Cork in 1843, a valuable and elaborate paper on the Census 
of the Population of Ireland in 1841, in which paper a considerable amount of infor- 
mation was given that will admit of the comparison as respects some matters con- 
nected with agriculture being carried back to the year 1841. The returns embraced 
at both periods the number of farms or holdings, distinguished in different classes, 
according to their acreage contents, information of deep importance considering the 
faulty, it might rather be said, the fatal subdivision of the soil in that island; and 
it must be gratifying to learn that a change in this respect is going forward, if not so 
rapidly as could be wished, yet more rapidly than could have been expected, from 
the known tenacity wherewith the Irish cottier had previcusly adhered to his patch 
of ground. The condition cf the country in this respect in each of the three years 
above-mentioned was— 

1841. 1847, 1848, 



Farms from 1 to 5acres | 306,915} 125,926) 101,779 
~~ By 1D y «| 251,128] 253,630 | 225,251 
” 15, 30 .,...| 78,954] 150,999| 146,725 
Above 30 acres ...........06.| 48,312] 137,147] 140,817 
Total number ...| 685,309 | 667,702| 614,572 
The number of holdings not exceeding an acre were, in 1847, 62,447; in 1848, 
44,262, : 
The paper read by Capt. Larcom on the census returns did not give the number 
of these small holdings in 1841; but we may fairly presume that it must have been 
greatly beyond the number ascertained in 1847, seeing that the next smallest de- 
scription of farms, those of one to five acres, had then decreased in the proportion of 
three-fifths, while those above thirty acres have increased in a threefold proportion. 
The next census returns, which also will most probably be made under the direction 
of Capt. Larcom, will doubtless exhibit the effect which this change produces upon 
the course of employment. The fact has on previous occasions been noticed, that 
while in England and Scotland the proportionate number of the population em- 
ployed in raising food has been decreasing in a very remarkable manner, the contrary 
result has been experienced in Ireland. It was ascertained, at the census of 1841, 
that in Great Britain 1000 persons, engaged as occupiers and labourers in raising — 
food, provided for the wants in that respect of themselves and of 2984 other persons, 
while in Ireland, the like number of persons, viz. 1000 so engaged, provided food for 
no more than 511 persons beyond themselves, In 1831, the number of cccupiers not 
employing labourers—the lowest description of farmers—in England was 94,883 out 
of a population of 13,000,000, whereas in Ireland, a population of 7,700,000 furnished 
564,274 of such small farmers. A great part of these have changed, or it is to be 
hoped will change, their condition by becoming hired labourers for others; and as 
their employers will necessarily be in the possession of some capital, the labour em- 
ployed by them will be rendered more effective than it could be under the old order 
of things, where the farmer of a mere patch of ground had usually little or nothing 
06e5 goss OO eee 
