ox AGRICULTURE TO IRELAND 127 



possible for many a day yet to bring electricity, which is to be the 

 great driving power of the world in the near future, to the assistance 

 of the small farmer in the production of his industrial products. 

 In the not distant future, we should not be surprised if the little 

 villages of Ireland should become great centres of industrial activity, 

 feeding the farms and fed by them, electricity generated by water 

 or by wind as it is in Denmark, being the motive power. Then shall 

 Ireland not be entirely dependent upon superior artistic skill, such 

 as has been displayed by the farmers of Wurtemburg and such as is 

 meantime necessary to enable the cottager by his own fireside to 

 compete successfully with the factory in the manufacturing centres 

 of the world. Then it will be possible to do by the fireside the same 

 kind of work as is done in the factory, the power in each case being 

 the same, and the cost of labour in the home considerably less than 

 in the factory, inasmuch as the farm folk will be employing only 

 their spare time and only partly dependent upon their industrial 

 products for a livelihood. 



But meantime the progress made is creditable. There are fifty 

 Home Industry Societies in Ireland with a membership of 2811, 

 and a turn-over of £13,018. 



