54 THE IRISH AGRARIAN PROBLEM. 



important is (2) the work of the harvesters in 

 England. According to Government statistics, 

 17,566 labourers, or 3-9 per thousand of the Irish 

 population went in 1903 to England ; most of 

 them came from Connaught, especially from 

 Mayo. Amongst 13,530 Connaught men, 9,266 

 were from Mayo. About 80 per cent, of these 

 migratory labourers are the sons and relations of 

 land holders, but not themselves land holders ; 

 the other 20 per cent, are land holders. No less 

 than 300 holders travelled from Connaught 

 whose holdings averaged more than 20 acres. 

 The railway statistics show a larger number of 

 migratory labourers, namely 24,021 ; but, as a 

 number of double journeys made by persons who 

 go twice in the year to England are here 

 included, this statement is too high. Besides 

 this migration to England there is an inland 

 migration which is very hard to estimate from 

 the more northerly counties to Ulster. If one 

 goes in summer to one of the chief districts of 

 these migratory labourers — for example, to Achill 

 Island — there is scarcely an able-bodied man to 

 be found in the large villages. 



A third source of auxiliary profit is the 

 fishing, which has above all things prospered 

 considerably through the activity of the Con- 

 gested Districts Board. Kelp burning may be 

 mentioned as a fourth : this is the manufacture of 

 iodine and soda from sea- weed, and was formerly 

 a lucrative occupation on the west coast. It 

 created the thickly scattered settlements which 



