SOILING, OR HOUSE FEEDING. 193 



present farm was in pasture, it pastured eighteen cows in sum 

 mer; but now it feeds sixteen cows and three horses, all the 

 year round, and I have as large a proportion of grain crops on 

 the same land as most other people, besides.&quot; 



I have thought that these details, all of which came under 

 my own observation, would be interesting to my readers ; and I 

 will refer to some experiments on a small scale, on the estate of 

 Lord Gosford, in the county of Armagh, Ireland, already spoken 

 of, under the management of William Blacker. Esq., who may 

 be considered as the author of house feeding in Ireland. 



I had the gratification of a most instructive visit with this gen 

 tleman, among several of his small tenants, who every where 

 greeted him with a warmth of welcome which showed their 

 deep sense of his kindness. Indeed, many of them, through his 

 judicious and beneficent agency, had been recovered from a con 

 dition of want, discouragement, suffering, and debt, and placed 

 in circumstances of independence, comfort, contentment, and 

 improvement ; and I know riot who are more to be envied than 

 those persons who have it in their power to confer such bene 

 factions, arid who are permitted to see the beneficent fruit of 

 their labors. 



I shall be excused if I interrupt the course of my subject to 

 speak of the means by which these changes, which here meet 

 the eye and warm the heart, and form such an affecting contrast 

 to the indescribably wretched condition of many of the cottiers 

 of Ireland, have been brought about. 



The numerous tenantry among whom he was placed, and a 

 large proportion of whom were the occupiers of very small hold 

 ings, labored under two great difficulties, ignorance of the best 

 mode, and the want of the means, of cultivating their grounds, 

 difficulties which press heavily upon a great portion of the Irish 

 population. The best of all charities is that which helps the 

 unfortunate to help themselves. To understand the condition 

 of Ireland. unlike, it is said, that which exists in any other part 

 of the civilized world, it is necessary to go into Ireland. My 

 eye never before rested upon, my imagination could scarcely ex 

 aggerate, the state of destitution and degradation, as far as their 

 condition was concerned, in which I saw millions of these people 

 living The whole blame of this condition is not to be charged, 

 as is too often done, upon the landlords. If. as is well known. 



VOL. IT 17. 



