56 ENGLAND'S HORSES, 



The uneconomic and wasteful system of very small 

 fields — originated as the necessity of farming operations 

 upon a minute scale by a numerous and poor agricultural 

 population — A¥as the first gi-eat objection in the disposition 

 of the land that attracted the recent Scotch and English 

 settlers under the disinheriting edict of the court in 

 Henrietta Street, Dublin. 



The system j)ursued to alter the face of things in this 

 respect is well and generally appreciated in Ireland, and is 

 possibly understood in England and elsewhere. The old 

 aristocracy of the kingdom, careless and unfrugal as 

 the wretched retainers under their feudal rule, designated 

 tenants, in painfully rare instances appreciated the ob- 

 jectionable state of their land under such an improvident 

 and helpless dispensation as that within the command of 

 the poor " small farmers," and the very wretched cottier 

 tenants with their " little plot o' land." 



The exodus from Ireland at this period, and through the 

 subsequent years of its depopulation, was mainly caused 

 by the improvement system that had for its object the 

 advanced farming code, the application of which, up to the 

 present, has eventuated in substituting oxen and sheep for 

 men and horses, or, in more remarkable terms, heef and 

 mutton for soldiers and " re-mounts." I call attention only 

 to facts, attempted deductions might fail to effect by my 

 pen that which, through reflection of my readers, may be 

 brought about. 



Tlie light and superficial husbandry adopted and pursued 

 by the Irish people (I speak generally) up to the time of the 

 extensive confiscation by tlie hammer of the auctioneer, 

 necessitated large assistance from horse-power. Limestone 

 and " culem " (small coal for burning the stone to lime) had 

 to be drawn, the fields had to be ploughed, harrowed, and 

 rolled, turf had to be drawn from the neighbouring bog, 



