SECT. V.] RESULTS OF THE INQUIRY. 237 



the results of which were communicated to the House 

 in four important Reports. It appears that there are 

 3,000,000 of Irish acres of waste land, equal to 5,000,000 

 of English acres, which are considered to be almost all 

 reclaimable. 



" In the year 1819 the subject was brought under the 

 consideration of the Committee on the State of Disease, 

 and it was recommended that e these objects may be pro- 

 perly left to individuals or associations as a profitable 

 adventure, legal provision being made for the repayment 

 by a portion of the ground, either in fee or in lease/ Ex- 

 periments which have been subsequently tried seem to 

 confirm the reasoning and anticipations of the Commis- 

 sioners with respect to the great profit and practicability 

 of these drainages. It is in evidence that, by an expense 

 of somewhat about Jl. an acre, land in the county of Sligo 

 has been reclaimed and rendered worth a rent of 30$. ; or, 

 if preserved in the hands of the proprietor, that it is made 

 capable of repaying all expenses by three years' produce, 

 leaving all subsequent returns clear gain. This evidence 

 is confirmed by the experience of an intelligent witness, 

 who considers the expense of improvement to have been 

 rather overstated. Both these witnesses are English, hav- 

 ing no local bias whatever to influence their judgment. 

 These opinions have received further confirmation by the 

 examination of General Bourke before your Committee. 

 That gentleman states, e that he is proprietor of bogs in 

 different places, and has tried the experiment of improving 

 them ; that bog on which turf has been cut, and which 

 was in a wild and uncultivated state, had been, at an ex- 

 pense of 7^. an acre, raised from 105. to the value of 30s. 

 acreable rent/ General Bourke expresses his belief that 



