6 A LIFE'S WORK IN IRELAND. 



the farmer whilst at work besides. The farmer thus 

 got his labour and a manured field for corn the 

 following year without money out of pocket, whilst 

 the labourer got all the chief necessaries of his life 

 in exchange for his labour, also without money. 



It is easy to see the effect of the potato failure 

 upon such a system. Money wages at once became 

 indispensable. This was just what the farmer had 

 not to give, whilst the labourer could not otherwise 

 live. He therefore could not stay where he was, 

 and so the farmer lost his labour and his manured 

 field, whilst the cabin became roofless. And hence 

 an entirely different social state was forced in; 

 farming became more of a business, requiring outlay 

 of money at least to some extent, and so dairy and 

 stock farming have increased, because needing less 

 of such outlay than tillage. This again has caused 

 less employment for the labourer, whilst from the 

 day his labour was paid for in money, the attraction 

 of the higher money price of such labour in America 

 operated with double force, and hence increased 

 emigration. To the smaller and poorer farmers, 

 who had little or no stock, the change was doubly 

 severe. In addition to other troubles, they were 

 forced to buy meal on credit for themselves and 

 their families for many months of the year. Doubt- 

 ful if any new plans would succeed, and without 

 means to carry such out, they were indeed between 

 the upper and nether millstones. 



