THE IRELAND OF TO-DAY. 55 



we still find along the west coast ; but it is now- 

 adays a declining industry, owing to develop- 

 ments in chemistry. 



Domestic industries must be considered as 

 a fifth kind of profit, especially the spinning 

 and weaving of " homespuns," which flourishes 

 principally in the mountain villages of Donegal. 

 Stufi"s to the value of ;^7oo are often sold in the 

 monthly markets of Ardara and Carrick. These 

 homespuns are dyed (mostly with local vegetable 

 products), and the patterns designed, by the 

 people themselves, who often show remarkable 

 taste and skill in this traditional industry.^ 



The last and certainly not the least source of 

 help which is at the service of the occupants 

 of deficit farms, are the money contributions 

 of their relatives who have emisfrated to America. 

 Without these various additions to the profits of 

 farming they would always find themselves on the 

 narrow border which separates a bare existence 

 from famine. From time to time there is a 

 famine, when the potatoes fail and the yearly 

 income has to sufiice not only for the months 

 from May to October, but for the previous 

 winter as well. 



The type of deficit farm here described is not 

 confined to the congested districts ; there are 

 frequently individual groups of such farms in 

 other parts of the country which in other 

 respects are quite flourishing. We may with 



^ " Ireland, Agric. and Ind.," p. 395. 



