102 ON THE STATE OF IRELAND. [BOOK I. 



above what they require for their own use, and they do 

 not understand allowing the heaps of manure the requisite 

 fermentation. They generally leave them piled up before 

 their houses, forming nuisances which are the cause of much 

 sickness. Sea-weed is in general use as manure : in many 

 baronies the landlords are paid for this manure by an in- 

 crease of rent on their lands to the amount of 12s. an acre, 

 and they have deprived the farmers of it who have voted 

 against them. Neither bones, salt, soot, rape, nor malt- 

 dust are used as manures. It is impossible to prevent 

 the small farmers, and those who rent small lots of land 

 by the year, from burning the land. 



The nature of the enclosures, and the manner in which 

 they are kept up, was another point of inquiry. 



The fences mostly consist of dry stone walls, banks of 

 earth or hedges. The farmers are at the expense of keep- 

 ing them up, and their destruction is a source of litigation 

 and quarrelling. 



The Commissioners inquired if the rents have diminished 

 or increased in value. 



Generally speaking, the rents of the large farmers have 

 diminished in value for the last five or six years ; but the 

 lands held by the small farmers are let at such exorbitant 

 prices, that it is impossible they can pay what they owe to 

 the landlord out of the produce of the soil. They are 

 obliged to have recourse to labour for others, and, if they 

 fail to obtain work, they do not pay, and are consequently 

 ejected and driven to begging. 



The Commissioners received detailed accounts of the 

 state of the rivers, their floods, and the general progress 

 of drainage. 



The rivers and streams are very badly attended to, and 



