THE CLIMATE OF IRELAND. 269 



more nearly approach this value than the cattle of 

 the large farmer. Large farmers, as a rule, have 

 much larger and more improved cattle of all ages 

 than small farmers ; and nearly all the fatting and 

 fat cattle. Mr. Thompson's estimate of the weight 

 of cattle killed in England is 600 lbs. per head on 

 an average, which at present prices would make 

 their value a good deal over £20 each. The cattle 

 of large farmers in Ireland probably do not weigh 

 much less than the average of all English cattle 

 killed, and after all due allowance for the value 

 above £6 : 10s. of the cattle of small farmers, there 

 must be a large excess in the value per head of the 

 cattle of large farmers. If this excess is only fifty 

 per cent, and it is probably much more, it will quite 

 alter the inference Mr. Pringle draws. Considering 

 how few turnips, etc., Irish small farmers grow, and 

 how much they overstock their grass, and that they 

 use^ no cake or bought food, it would be strange 

 indeed if they thus grew more pounds of meat than 

 are grown on better managed large grass farms. 



The last three years have been excellent seasons 

 for grass in Ireland. With the same stock every farmer 

 has had plenty of grass ; even those usually over- 

 stocked have had enough, and their stock has profited 

 accordingly. Many have thus been taught the les- 

 son of the profit from the better feeding of stock ; the 

 price a well-fed animal of any age has brought in the 

 market has been so out of proportion to the price of an 



