JOHN BULL'S OTHER ISLAND. 171 



inception to Sir Horace Plunkett, who be- 

 came its first vice-president. 



The Department owes nothing to West- 

 minster either in the way of its creation or in its 

 personnel, which is thoroughly representative 

 of Irish life. The difference between the Irish 

 Department and the English Board of Agri- 

 culture is striking. One is in daily touch with 

 the Irish farmer, whether he lives in Conne- 

 mara or County Down, and the other is as 

 aloof from the life of the tiller of the soil as 

 the gods of Olympus from the helots of Sparta. 



The Department is governed by a Council 

 of Agriculture consisting of two members 

 appointed by each county council (Cork being 

 regarded as two counties and returning two 

 members) making in all sixty-eight persons. 

 The Department also appoints one half of this 

 number of persons, observing in its nomina- 

 tion the same provincial proportion as obtained 

 in the appointments by the popular bodies. 

 This adds thirty -four members, and makes 

 in all one hundred and two councillors, in 

 addition to the president (who is the Chief 

 Secretary) and the vice-president, who are 

 ex-officio members. The Council of Agri- 

 culture is thus composed of many men who 



