260 A LIFE'S WORK IN IRELAND. 



stock, and of most grass products, has immensely 

 increased. The cost of labour has greatly increased 

 too ; not only are wages much higher, which is not 

 to be complained of, but labourers in Ireland usually 

 give less and worse labour for their hire. It was 

 bad enough before with low wages, it is worse now 

 with much higher wages, whatever it may ultimately 

 come to. Emigration, too, is steadily lessening the 

 supply of labour year by year. Several years ago, 

 being pretty forward with draining and such improve- 

 ments, I bethought me that it would be well to devote 

 money to the improvement of labourers' houses over 

 the estate. I had already built good houses for most 

 of the men in my own regular employment. When I 

 came practically to consider the subject I found that 

 everything was in such a transition state that it was 

 wiser to wait a while, and see what houses would 

 be really wanted and where. It was well I did so, 

 for now there are a number of labourers' houses on 

 all parts of the estate standing empty, some of them 

 fairly good slated houses, much superior to the 

 common cabins of the country ; more are yearly 

 being left empty. 



Extra jobs of draining, etc., can no longer be 

 done in most years at a reasonable cost, or a fair 

 increase on former prices. Men are not to be had, 

 except a few at slack times of year, and they will 

 not do wet, unpleasant work except for very high 

 pay, and in their own lazy way. It is often said that 



