S9 6 IRELAND 



Cavan and County Sligo, where the urban population has increased by 6 per cent at the 

 expense of the rural, County Roscommon 7 per cent and County Leitrim 8 per cent. 

 Allowing both for the natural growth of the more important towns and the urban 

 expansion in these districts at the expense of the rural population, the gross decline of 

 agricultural population for the whole country during the decade is approximately 146,000. 

 The total emigration represents a correspondingly large number, but the figures for 

 191131,058 are the smallest on record since early in the century. 



Agriculture. Most of the decline represented by these alarming figures must be 

 allotted to the earlier years of the decade. Since 1909 the rural decline has been sub- 

 stantially checked. The earlier years of decline in arable cultivation, and consequently 

 in agricultural population, were reflected in the increased production from pasture 

 lands and of cattle feed generally, and the material increase in the number of store cattle. 

 The cattle industry no longer flourishes directly at the expense of cultivation. 



The total area of corn and green crops, including flax and fruit, in Ireland in 1912 was 

 2,357,969 acres, an increase of 9148 acres on the preceding year. The corn crop, growing on 

 1,265,597 acres, showed an increase of 11,166 acres. There was a decrease of 211 acres in 

 the total area under wheat, but this was entirely due to the heavy decrease I no acres 

 in Connaught. The area under oats showed an increase of 5736 acres; in Ulster the increase 

 was 10,379 acres, while the acreage had decreased in the other three provinces. The increase 

 in barley 7186 acres was distributed over the four provinces. The total area of potatoes 

 was 595,218 acres, an increase in the year of 3959 acres; there were increases in Leinster and 

 Ulster (876 and 3670 acres) and decreases in Munster and Connaught (1146 and 1441 acres). 

 The acreage under turnips showed an increase of 956 acres to 271,761. The total area 

 of hay was 2,479,159 a decrease of 33,244 acres in all the provinces. The approximate 

 yield per acre was oats 51.1 bushels, barley 44.1 bushels, wheat 38 bushels. The total 

 yield of potatoes v/as approximately 3.1 million tons, and of hay 5.1 million tons. The area 

 under flax had decreased by 1 1,701 acres in 1912 to 54,917, the decrease being general through- 

 out most of the flax-growing counties. The area of pasture, including mountain grazing, 

 was 12,418,867 acres a decrease of 11,931 acres. There were in 1912 4,848,498 cattle in 

 Ireland, an increase in the year of 136,778; 617,532 horses, or +1201; 3,828,829 sheep, 

 or -78,607; 1,323,957 pigs, or -91,162; 25,525,724 poultry, or + 77,923- 



Two factors have to be taken into account in a consideration of the rural regenera- 

 tion of Ireland the growth of co-operative principles and the effect of land purchase. 

 In 1908 the Irish Agricultural Organization Society became involved in a dispute with 

 the Irish Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction. The political aspect 

 of the question may be disregarded. Its economic aspect is contained in the charge 

 that the Organization Society was " an association trading for profit." Mr. T. W. 

 Russell 1 , who succeeded Sir Horace Plunkett 2 as vice-president of the Department 

 in 1007, informed the Council of Agriculture in 1908 that he had decided to withdraw 

 the Department's subsidy to the Society, but he undertook to continue a diminishing 

 grant for three years, 3000 for the first year, 2000 for the second, and 1000 for the 

 third. The Agricultural Board later decided that the grant should be withdrawn at 

 the end of 1908. Under the provisions of the Development Fund Act of 1909, the De- 

 velopment Commissioners were empowered to make advances for the organization of 

 co-operation, either " to a Government Department or through a Government to a 

 voluntary association not trading for profit." In accordance with this provision, the 

 Irish Agricultural Organization Society, like the similar societies in England and 

 Scotland, applied for a grant in aid. The application was referred to the Department 

 of Agriculture, which reported adversely. Much delay ensued, but, nearly a year after 

 the application was sent in, the matter was submitted to the Council of Agriculture. 

 This body endorsed Mr. T. W. Russell's action. Mr. Russell then proposed to the 

 Development Commissioners that a grant should be made to the Department for " non- 

 controversial co-operation." The Commissioners rejected this proposal early in 1912, 

 and decided a few weeks later to make the grant on their own responsibility to the Irish 

 Agricultural Organization Society a course which had been repeatedly advocated by 



1 B. 1841. Originally an Ulster Liberal Unionist (M.P. for S. Tyrone from 1886), and 

 in 1895-1900 parliamentary secretary to Local Govt. Bd. in Unionist ministry; but went 

 over to Liberal side in 1905. A well-known Temperance advocate. 



2 B. 1856; See E. B. xxi, 857. 



