ON AGRICULTURE TO IRELAND 13 



shirt factory. What connection had a shirt factory with agri- 

 culture? A good deal of connection in Ireland. Mr Macartney 

 Filgate, of the Department of Agriculture, explained that in the 

 old days handloom weaving was a great industry in this district. 

 It supplemented the income of the farm. Since the advent of 

 the steam-loom handloom weaving had gone down, and it was 

 absolutely necessary that some other industry should take its 

 place to enable tlie farmers to make ends meet. The shirt factory 

 in question was started witli that object in view. Hard by the 

 shirt factory there is a poultry-distributing centre, run by the 

 local doctor's wife, a centre fiom which the farmers and cottagers 

 get settings of pure eggs of the most suitable breeds, the object 

 being, of course, the development of the poultry industry in the 

 district. It was midday when the Commission got back to 

 Dundalk Station. On the way to Portrush, vid Belfast, a halt 

 was to be made at Messrs Barbours' flax-spinning mills at Hilden. 

 What again, it may be asked, has flax-spinning to do with Irish 

 agriculture ? It has a great deal to do, for flax is one of the 

 agricultural crops of Ireland, and these mills are as essential to 

 the development of flax-growing as preserve-works are to the 

 development of fruit-growing. It was necessary, however, to 

 reach Portrush that night. There could therefore be no stop by 

 the way. It was a long journey to Portrush, but it was made 

 exceedingly pleasant by the generosity and the kindness of the 

 Great Northern Railway Company, who put at the disposal of the 

 Commission, at greatly reduced figures, a most comfortable saloon 

 carriage. The day was far spent when the popular northern 

 seaside resort was reached. Arrangements, however, had been 

 made to run out to the Giant's CauseM'ay by special car, and so, 

 before turning in for the night, the party had an opportunity of 

 doing a bit of sight-seeing which was not in the day's work. 



We should have mentioned that one of the Commissioners had 

 visited Messrs Hogg & Robertson's famous bulb farm at Rush, 

 County Dublin, and had also made a tour through the Armagh 

 fruit district. Still, comparatively little had so far been accom- 

 plished. The scene of operations proper began in the far North, 

 and the Commissioners had to get there before they could get a 

 start. They set to work in earnest at Portrush. Divided into 

 two sections, they started on the morning after their arrival at 

 6 A.M. One section went to the Co-operative Poultry Society at 

 Dervock, about 17 miles from Coleraine, where they were met by 

 some of the members of Committee of the Poultry Society, and 

 afterwards entertained to breakfast by Rev. J. Colhoun. The 

 Society was started about five years ago. Its turnover for eggs 

 collected from a radius of 12 miles is about £600 per month. The 

 other section went to Ballyrashane, which is about 2 miles from 

 Coleraine, to see the Co-operative Creamery. This creamery is 

 looked on as one of the most up-to-date in Ireland. It deals in 

 cream and butter. There are six auxiliary collecting centres in 

 connection with the creamery. Apart from the creamery, the 

 district is interesting from an agricultural point of view. The 



