268 A LIFE'S WORK IN IRELAND. 



number of Roman Catholics ; and tillage, as giving 

 more employment than grass, has been favoured 

 accordingly. Even the growth of flax has been 

 urged on the same grounds. I have already shown 

 the weakness of such reasoning, because there is 

 plenty of work for every one for long years in 

 draining and other improvements, far more profitable 

 to all concerned than it can be to try to force one 

 kind of farming instead of another that for any 

 reason is more profitable. But there is no doubt it 

 has been thought tlie increased employment from 

 tillage would check the emigration. 



My own opinion is clear that the decrease of 

 labourers is going on so fast that by the end of the 

 next seven or ten years there will be no choice in 

 the matter, and it is very fortunate for us that the 

 increased price of grass products gives us so profit- 

 able a means of escape from what would be otherwise 

 a most serious difficulty. Those who have treated 

 their land best will have least trouble. 



On one point alone Mr. Pringle, I think, is 

 quite wrong — when he argues against grass farming 

 because small farmers, holding 7 millions of acres, 

 keep on them stock to the value of 17^ millions of 

 money ; whilst large farmers, holding 8 -I millions of 

 acres, keep on them stock valued only at 1 8 millions 

 of money. But the cattle on both sizes of farm are 

 valued at the same rate, £6 : 10s. per head. It is 

 evident that the cattle of the small farmer much 



