THE IRELAND OF TO-DAY. 53 



in turf that there is a lack of it only in a com- 

 paratively small number of badly situated places. 

 The population lives from October to May for 

 the most part on potatoes, milk, and tea. They 

 sell calves and young cattle, pigs, and poultry. 

 The cattle have often deteriorated, as the best 

 animals are sold and the worst retained for 

 breeding purposes. The pastures are frequently 

 very poor, both from bad treatment and from 

 being overstocked with animals ; many of them 

 serve to support nothing but the most easily 

 satisfied Scottish mountain sheep. From May 

 to October, when the old potato harvest is 

 used up, the people live on American flour, or 

 on maize meal, which is not only an article of 

 diet, but also furnishes the principal fodder for 

 the live stock on the farm. Oats are eaten in 

 the form of porridge, or given to the animals 

 When the people supplement their scanty 

 menu with bacon, it is of the worst American 

 kind. The good Irish bacon made from their 

 own pigs is much too expensive. The income 

 from the sale of cattle and from other farming 

 transactions is not sufficient to pay the rent, 

 defray the taxes, make the usual offerings to 

 the priest, and meet all necessary expenditure. 

 Some additional source of profit is absolutely 

 necessary. This is — (i) Work on neighbouring 

 farms, for which, however, there is seldom a 

 demand, as all the West is pasture land ; there 

 is a regular demand for labour only on the 

 properties of the richest landlords. Much more 



