The Heather Plot 43 



As a whole, the plan works out rather effectively, 

 and gives the house an air of distinction quite 

 large for the size ; a big advance on peasant 

 dignity, yet not at all beyond peasant means, 

 assuming efficiency. The whole thing, to begin, 

 is only a typical peasant farm about the average, 

 and what interested me was to see what could be 

 done with it. 



The peasants' homes could be made beautiful 

 for practically nothing. Of two ways to do a 

 necessary piece of work, one makes an eyesore from 

 the start, the other a delight for generations. 

 Yet we live in unrelieved squalour, while the 

 Government gives us young trees free, to be 

 planted this year by the official expert, and torn 

 out next year by the pig. The taxpayer bears the 

 cost of the continuous destruction, and we cannot 

 be induced to fence the trees. The level of 

 civilisation is readily inferred. The essentials of 

 civilisation are probably lower in agrarian Ireland 

 at present than they were a thousand years ago. 



At the south-eastern extremity is the kitchen 

 garden, as far from the yard as I could go, because 

 poultry and gardening do not agree. Then 

 comes the heather plot, the centre of agricultural 

 interest, which has been visited by travellers from 

 three continents. Choice vegetables and heather 

 nearly a yard long flourish on opposite sides of the 

 paths, and this was the contrast which Mr. T. W. 

 Russell came to see when I was " not at home." 

 His instructive visit is described in the chapter on 

 " My Visitors." 



