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THE SOILS OF IRELAND. 



THE SOILS OF IRELAND. 



Through the writings of Boate, M'CuUogh, Young, Wakefield, Kane, 

 Griffith, and other acknowledged authorities on matters concerning land, 

 agricultural enquirers are familiar with much that has to be said upon the 

 present subject. The fertility of Irish soils has long been recognised — as a 

 general characteristic, perhaps, sometimes over-estimated. It is probable 

 that the favourable reputation they possess is largely due to the humidity of 

 our climate — which imparts to the vegetation of the Emerald Isle its pro- 

 verbial verdure — as well as to the circumstances which are to be described. 



Situated as Ireland is, upon the outskirts of the European Continent, and 

 exposed to the moisture-laden breezes directly reaching it from the Atlantic, 

 the island in some respects suffers from, if in other respects it profits by, the 

 undiminished effects of their humidity. Frequent late springs and damp 

 harvests, with heavy rainfall, particularly in the hilly regions, causing waste 

 of fertilising ingredients in the soils, are amongst the evil effects attendant 

 upon the position of the island. As a set-off against those drawbacks there 

 are the modifying influences of the Gulf Stream, producing a more equable 

 and milder climate than other countries in the same latitude enjoy. These 

 circumstances are moreover conducive to a much prolonged period of vege- 

 table growth, and to the rearing of healthy stock. 



The following figures as to the aggregate areas of grass land and arable 

 soil, woodlands, peat bogs, and waste land for 1900 and 1901, are taken 

 from returns issued by the Statistics and Intelligence Branch of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland. 



Tabulated in another way, the distribution of areas runs thus : — 



Above the 2,000 feet contour, 82 square miles ; between 2,000 feet 

 and 1,000 feet contour, 1,590 square miles ; between 1,00^ feet and 500 

 feet contour, 5,797 square miles ; between 500 feet and 250 feet 



