HUSBANDRY FOR IRELAND. 67 



and the Highlands of Scotland, and its gradual 

 introduction into this country, would restore 

 our national industry to a healthy tone, and 

 prove itself more profitable in the end than 

 our present practice. Many of our leading 

 agriculturists are sensible of the fact ; many 

 have already experienced the advantage of the 

 spade or fork over the plough. The system is 

 fast taking root in England, and is destined at 

 no distant period to supersede the old-school 

 practice. The easchrom, loi, and plough will 

 become interesting objects to the antiquary. 



The system no doubt requires more capital 

 to commence with, taking the three kingdoms 

 as a whole, but not so much as many are at 

 first apt to calculate. This obstacle would be 

 easily got over in this country by means of 

 gradual introduction ; and in Ireland, owing to 

 the incredible expense of horse-work at present, 

 and the well-known fact that a majority of the 

 small tenants lounge about in idleness as long 

 as they might dig their lands, it would be 

 almost immaterial if matters were judicially 

 managed. We have frequently seen small far- 

 mers lounging about idle as long as they might 

 have dug the whole of their lands for the ensuing 



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