46 ON THE STATE OF IRELAND. [BOOK I. 



and the fallow is most in request, since it requires little 

 labour. The labourer does not trouble himself to manure 

 it, as his interest extends not beyond the harvest. 



In general the small farmers, for the sake of the straw, 

 cultivate oats ; but the labourers never cultivate anything 

 but potatoes. 



It was stated that, in the barony of Dromahair, half an 

 acre was the extent of land sublet to a man for a year in 

 con-acre ; that this system of occupation was general, but 

 that it prevailed more in the neighbourhood of the small 

 towns, because the shopkeepers and artisans competed 

 with the labourers to obtain lots of ground, on which to 

 cultivate potatoes with the spade, the plough being almost 

 unknown in the barony. 



In the baronies of Mohim and Carbery this system is 

 universal ; since, according to the witnesses, the artisans 

 and shopkeepers are unable to go to a distance to procure 

 potatoes, their only description of food, which are moreover 

 too heavy for their transport. 



In the barony of Murrisk this system is unknown ; the 

 cause of which is that the farms are exceedingly small, and 

 all the soil which can be manured is planted with potatoes. 



In the province of Leinster, the Commissioners found 

 some baronies in which this system is not general, because 

 the labourers had obtained more constant employment 

 from the large farmers ; such are the baronies of Balrothery 

 and Clonlisk. It prevails, however, throughout almost all 

 the country, as in the baronies of Galmoy, Gowran, Phi- 

 lipstown, Dundalk, Kells, Moyfenragh, etc. 



In the provinces of Munster and Ulster this system is, 

 with very little exception, universal. The Commissioners 

 inquired into the price and the conditions of this kind of 

 tenure. 



