On the Fence 57 



no offence, to live as Ion? as I can, if not as com- 

 fortably as I could. Half a century of unrewarded 

 hardship awaits the men who must restore the 

 Irish peasant to the use of his wits for the indus- 

 trial development of his character. Meantime, 

 we must teach him how to make an earth fence 

 and let the children go to play if not to school. 

 Now they mind the cow, and look forward to play 

 like their big brotheis when they grow up, instead 

 of looking forward to work as the children do in 

 the countries that prosper. 



I had fences everywhere, but no fence anywhere 

 that could stop a pig, and every patch had its 

 double border of waste headlands in addition. 

 More than half the fences are now gone, with so 

 much working power economised to keep the other 

 half good, and I never make or repair an earth 

 fence without setting some sort of a hedge to 

 grow in it. Years ago, I found thorn seedlings 

 absurdly cheap, and bought some thousands of 

 them for five shillings. They were not big enough 

 to plant out, but a few square yards were enough 

 to nurse them until needed. Ever since, I have 

 had thorn quicks at hand whenever I wanted them. 

 It is one of those small matters which, put 

 together, mean big results in the economy of the 

 farm, and a better race of men when we are gone . 

 Nine-tenths of all we have has been provided for 

 us by predecessors, and unless we hand it on 

 increased, there is no progress. Under our double 

 dose of crime-made law and professional 

 patriotism, we have rather diminished the 



