ON AGRICULTURE TO IRELAND 15 



farmers are fine specimens, doing as well as any small farmers are 

 doing in these days of agricultural depression. The members of 

 the Commission had an opportunity of discussing agriculture with 

 one of the most intelligent of them. They were also able to 

 examine the steading and the stock of another farmer, younger 

 but not less intelligent than the other. Before leaving the district 

 one-half of the party was entertained to breakfast by the Eev. 

 Canon Cunningham, the English Church minister of the district, 

 and the other half was entertained to breakfast by the Eev. James 

 Hunter, the Presbyterian Church minister of the district, both of 

 whom, along with the C-atholic priest, work in perfect harmony. 



Subsequently, both sections met at Coleraine Station en route 

 for Londonderry, where they had an opportunity of visiting the 

 Agricultural Show. From Londonderry they proceeded to Clady 

 to inspect the Ilrney Co-operative Creamery, a perfectly equipped 

 concern run on lines similar to the Ballyrashane Creamery. Close 

 by there is a co-operative flax scutching mill, worked in the 

 winter time when farm work is slack. A poultry co-operative 

 society has also been started. After doing justice to ample 

 refreshments provided by representatives of these Societies, the 

 Commissioners took train to Strabane, a halting-place on the way 

 to Omagh. The object of the visit to Omagh was the Co-operative 

 Creamery, which deals with the produce of 560 farms, and turns 

 out six tons of butter every week. During the day the Com- 

 mission had a conference with Mr Dallinger, the Secretary of the 

 Tyrone County Committee of Agriculture. The conference ended, 

 the party divided into two. One section left with Mr Dallinger 

 to examine a travelling poultry farm established for six weeks in 

 a district eleven miles from Omagh — a travelling poultry farm 

 which teaches everything on the spot, from the artificial hatching 

 of the eggs to the killing of the l)irds. The other section drove to 

 a farm in the vicinity of Omagh with the object of seeing one of 

 the premium stallions. Unfortunately, it was from home at the 

 time of the Commissioners' visit, but they had an opportunity of 

 meeting the farmer, a frank, intelligent fellow, and exanuning his 

 farm and his stock. Both sections thereafter met at Omagh and 

 took train for Enniskillen. On their arrival at Enniskillen they 

 drove to the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society's premises, 

 and under the guidance of Mr Whyte, the Co-operative "Wholesale 

 Society's manager, they were shown over the creamery, bacon- 

 curing factory, and egg-collecting depot. The creamery is one of 

 the largest in Ireland. It has seven auxiliary creameries as 

 feeders, and it gets the milk-supply of 1200 farms. The output 

 of butter is over twelve tons per week. The bacon factory kills 

 25,000 pigs annually, and the egg-receiving depot collects 

 2,000,000 dozen eggs in the year. On leaving the Co-operative 

 Wholesale Society's premises, the Commissioners were taken in 

 hand by Mr Humphreys, the manager of the Sligo, Leitrim, and 

 Northern Counties Eailway, who is also a director of a steamboat 

 company which runs steamers on Lough Erne. Mr Humphreys 

 had arranged to put the company's steamer, Lady of the Lake, 



