5 



264 A LIFE'S WORK IN IRELAND. 



sufficient to turn the balance in favour of grass 

 farming, wherever grass will grow fairly. I can 

 say that in the arrangements for my own farm 

 these considerations weigh more day by day. Corn 

 is not higher in price, the wages to be spent in 

 growing it are higher ; but grass products, that cost 

 little or no more wages, are many times higher in 

 price. Can there be a doubt, from this cause alone, 

 what the intelligent farmer will do in a climate 

 specially suited to grass ? 



Grass farming in every form, and with every 

 sort of help from bought manures or bought food 

 for stock, cake, etc., is the true future before us.^ 



Water meadows, the especial advantage of which, 

 in the mild climate of Ireland, was pointed out by 

 Mr. Philip Pusey (in the Journal, vol. xi. p. 62) 

 more than twenty years ago, are a most valuable 

 resource to Irish grass farmers. Mowing upland 

 grass on second-rate land for hay is very exhausting 

 to the soil, and we do it as little as possible. We 

 cut hay mostly from bottom lands. But water 

 meadows in this climate are very productive, and 

 we grow unusual crops of hay on them, yet system- 

 atic watering is not nearly as common as it might 

 be. Small farmers are constantly squabbling amongst 

 themselves for the use of any rill of water near their 



1 The new plan of feeding stock with decorticated cattle cake 

 or grass, promises to pay capitally. I have tried it in 1880 on a 

 large scale. 



