98 A LIFE'S WORK IN IRELAND. 



comes by nature, I undertook to look after the 

 estate. In fact I knew all about the theory of 

 good farming, but very little of the practical 

 working details. 



I soon made up my mind to do without any 

 agent and manage the estate wholly myself, going 

 over two or three times a year to receive the rent 

 and do what was needful. There was not a house 

 upon it where I could put uj) for a night. 



At that time Mr. W. Blacker, of Armagh, was 

 considered the most successful agent in Ireland. He 

 had done wonders on some ill-managed estates, and 

 as I was well known to some of his principals, he 

 kindly received me for a fortnight, showed me 

 all his doings, and took me to stay with some other 

 ownei'S in the neighbouring counties, where the same 

 system was at work. 



Of course there were bad and good among our 

 tenants ; many were in arrears, some largely. The 

 first step was to get rid of the arrears. A few, who 

 were well off, were asked to pay them off gradually. 

 The same form was gone through with all. But, in 

 fact, much the greater number were forgiven wholly, 

 and were only asked to pay future rents regularly. 



There were a good many old leases, of farms of 

 100 acres, made before the year 1800. These had 

 been subdivided into four farms, the old lease still 

 existing ; and of course the four tenants were legally 

 answerable for each other. Thoucrh it involved some 



