298 A LIFE'S WORK IN IRELAND. 



they must appear in the field, with breakfast taken, at 

 6 o'clock, with only one stop, at midday, and in winter as 

 soon as the light will permit. A number of mechanics 

 are also constantly employed \ 36 tons of artificial man- 

 ures, in addition to a large quantity of bones, are 

 annually purchased, and 100 tons- of concentrated food for 

 cattle and sheep, besides a large bill for farm seeds, etc. 

 On the whole, if the yearly outlay on this tract of land 

 were general throughout Ireland, we should be better 

 able to withstand the depression which now prevails. 

 Mr. Bence Jones's system cannot be said to be " high 

 farming," nor yet " low," but probably midway between 

 both, which would seem to be the most judicious, at 

 least for the circumstances of this country. It is proved 

 profitable ; it wears at a glance all the elements of suc- 

 cess. It is practical and easy of imitation, but the great 

 drawback to its extensive adoption is the want of capital 

 amongst the tenant-farmer community. This, for years 

 to come, must be the great drawback to our agricultural 

 systems; and it is well to caution legislators in time 

 against passing any measure which would detach land- 

 lord capital from the improvement of the soil. C. B. 



I do not know even the name of the writer of this 

 paper. I was never asked for any information on the 

 subject of it, or knew anything of it till I saw it in the 

 Agricultural Gazette. Some unimportant facts are not 

 quite accurately stated, but I judged it best to leave it 

 as it stands, except that I have changed a single word 

 here and there when such a change more exactly ex- 

 pressed the facts. W. B. J. 



