THE CLIMATE OF IRELAND. 271 



again will lead to less cultivation and more and 

 better grass. 



In spite of all the miseries of the famine, farmers 

 and labourers alike have since, as far as they could, 

 gone back to the old conacre potato system. This is 

 the explanation why for years the statistical returns 

 have shown a regular increase in the average of 

 potatoes ; only as potatoes did not grow well enough 

 to last the whole year, the system could not fully 

 re-eetablish itseK as of old. Some modification to 

 supply food in spring and summer, when there were 

 no potatoes, was unavoidable. A few sacks of 

 Indian meal, bought on credit, was the means used. 



The terms for farmers' labourers in this district 

 have been 3 s, per week and the man's food at the 

 farm-house ; the cabin, charged 6d. per week, and the 

 conacre another sixpence per week, being stopped by 

 the farmer out of the 3 s. On the balance, with 

 such potatoes as grew, wife and children existed. 

 Of course there were some minor privileges — pig, 

 cocks and hens, etc. 



The strangest thing is that many labourers pre- 

 ferred such terms from small farmers to 8s. or 9s. a 

 week, with free house, potato-land, etc., from others. 

 I believe the secret is, that there was real work in 

 the one case, and no real work, but half-idle dawd- 

 ling in the other. This year the potatoes have failed 

 again in earnest, but the people are now so few the 

 effect will not be the same as at the famine. The 



