CASTLE-ISLAND. 99 



in most other parts of the country. Rents are said to 

 be high, but I was not able to learn with precision what 

 they really are. 



From Tralee to Castle-island the land is in some 

 places excellent, the best of it being supposed to be a 

 continuation of the "golden vein" of Tipperary. It is all 

 a highly improvable district, with abundance of lime- 

 stone and turf. 



At Castle-island I again met MrHerbert,M.P.,and ac- 

 companied him over several farms in that neighbourhood. 

 Much of the land here is in grass, and none of it appears 

 to have been racked by the tenants. Several very superior 

 farms would be let here, ten miles from Tralee and an 

 equal distance from Killarney. Mr Herbert has for some 

 years back been pursuing a course of improvement on his 

 extensive estates. He has built a good slated dwelling- 

 house and out-houses on the greater number of his farms, 

 and encouraged an improved system of cultivation among 

 his tenants. Having engaged an agriculturist to reside 

 on his estate, and go among his tenants to instruct 

 them, every one of them has now portions of well- 

 managed green-crops. Some turnip-crops which I saw 

 to-day would do no discredit to the best farm in East 

 Lothian, either for the quality of the crop or the clean 

 state of the cultivation. I walked over a number of 

 these farms, and feel satisfied that, in thus encouraging 

 the native farmers, Mr Herbert is pursuing a wise course. 

 But he does not begin by merely telling them how to 

 grow green-crops. He first erects housing for the stock 

 in which to consume the green crops profitably ; then he 

 provides his agriculturist with mixed grass-seeds, to dis- 



