40 A LIFE'S WORK IN IRELAND. 



to it, is so small as to make no practical difference 

 to the country ; and, on the other hand, so long as the 

 improvements are real and well done and recorded, 

 to pay the fair unexhausted value can be no loss to 

 any landlord, whether he assented beforehand or not. 

 It is a mere delusion that farmers in Ireland are 

 burning to carry out useful improvements, and are 

 kept back by the landlords. It is earnestly to be 

 wished the fact was so, for the remedy would then be 

 easy. There is one test of the anxiety of the farmers 

 to improve that always seems to me conclusive. 

 How do they carry out those parts of their work that 

 will repay them in a single year, such as cleaning the 

 land of weeds, and sowing and gathering the crops in 

 proper time? Cleaning of weeds pays on the one 

 crop. The sowing and reaping in proper time costs 

 no more than when done too late, and often less. 

 Every one with the most superficial knowledge 

 of Ireland knows that the cleaning of the land is 

 simply execrable, and that one-fourth to one-half the 

 crop is often lost by its being sown too late or 

 gathered too late. Not an autumn passes that hay 

 nearly black may not be seen in cocks for months ; 

 and I have often observed that fine weather early in 

 harvest is sure to do fatal harm, because so many 

 presume on it, and leave the crops for bad weather. 

 Every year I see crops manured well enough to give 

 a full return reduced to one-half by being sown late 

 and half-cleaned. What is the use of talking about 



