CHAPTER II. 

 THEN AND NOW 



THERE are two little farms, in different townlands, 

 but meeting on a stream and conveniently worked 

 as one. Separately, they measure something over 

 thirty-two statute acres ; jointly, about an acre 

 more, but the difference does not affect the 

 purpose. The valuation is 6, the purchase 

 annuity .5 135. iod., about 33. 7d. an acre. 



For estimating production, as attempted before 

 my time, we can take the total as twenty-one 

 acres, the rest being waste, under water, sedge, 

 bent, heather and virgin bog. About a fourth of 

 the workable area was tilled, in uncertain rotation, 

 the rest pasture, and there was not a rood of the 

 grass that could at any time be successfully 

 reserved for hay. The river valley, gushing 

 spring water from under the hills, was excellent 

 for snipe, but we were not poachers, and it would 

 not pay to licence a gun, everybody else being a 

 poacher. That was the state of things when I 

 escaped from my beloved country as a small boy in 

 1882, but it was considerably worse when I 

 returned in 1901, except that the bog had been 

 cut away for fuel, and the track left ready for 

 reclamation. 



At present the " waste " land is the best I have, 



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