CHAPTER V. 



TENDENCIES OF IRISH AGRICULTURE. 



The area of Ireland amounts to 20,350,000 

 acres. These are utilized as follows : — 



Acres. 



Corn, roots, potatoes, etc. ... ... 2,373,000 



Meadows, and temporary meadows, hay 



from permanent pasture ... 2,260,000 



Fallow and fruit ... ... ... 9)5°° 



Woods, &c. ... ... ... 303,000 



Bog, waste, barren mountain, water, &c. 4,817,600 



These figures already show us that Ireland is a 

 pasture country. The area devoted to meadow 

 is 2,260,160 acres ; to these are added 10,586,639 

 acres of permanent pasture, making a total 

 of 12,846,799 acres, or more than two-thirds 

 of all the arable land. Ireland is accordingly 

 a cattle-rearing country. The cattle are esti- 

 mated as follows : — 



Total, 3,498,500 4,676,000 



