CH. II.] THE SIZE OF FARMS. 43 



REMARKS. 



The province of Leinster is the richest, or rather 

 the least poor, in Ireland, as it includes Dublin, 

 the seat of government. That capital naturally re- 

 ceives from the three other provinces an amount 

 of duties, which is expended in it, and the land- 

 holders have no fear of residing there. The agri- 

 culture of its environs has thus the advantage of 

 resources, of which the other provinces are desti- 

 tute ; and consequently there are more large farms 

 in its neighbourhood than in other parts of the 

 country. 



The families of the rural population are divided 

 into two classes those who are in a condition to 

 employ labour, and those who, for their livelihood, 

 must obtain it. It may be reckoned, that a farmer 

 who cultivates 100 acres and upwards with his 

 family, is not equal to the labour which the farm 

 requires ; he must therefore employ labourers. 

 On the other hand, families whose occupations 

 do not exceed from one to ten acres, cannot subsist 

 upon their produce, and are obliged to work as 

 day-labourers. 



Now, in the preceding table, we observe that in 

 Leinster there are 458 farmers, occupying 80 acres 

 and upwards, who have to find labour for 5493 



