16 



Society of Land Improvers. 



Vol. X. 



like pulling the hair out of their Leads — 

 some actually cried !" 



The indispensable necessity of cleanliness, 

 and the absence of all extraneous lumber in 

 the dairy, to say nothing of the filthiness of 

 keeping animals in the dwelling-house, are 

 points strongly impressed upon the minds of 

 the tenants by tlie managing director and 

 the ever-watchful steward. Those who 

 •prove refractory are debarred from partici- 

 pating in the prizes which are given annu- 

 ally for draining, green crops, cattle, clean- 

 liness, &c. Great emulation is excited 

 among the tenantry by these premiums, of 

 -which the agricultural are paid in money, 

 the household in kind; and a gown or shawl 

 to the " good wife" is found more effective 

 ;than the purchase money, where shops are 

 so distant. The personal appearance and 

 icostume >of the female peasantry in this 

 mountain district, contrast strikingly with 

 those of Munster-: small regular features 

 are much more frequeait ; and the slovenly 

 flounced cap is never seen but on married 

 wcimen and jthe aged ; spinsters wear their 

 hair ex; posed, aad in neat order. The Sun- 

 day appearance of botli males and females, 

 is not only respeeta;ble but picturesque, re- 

 minding one of the Al-pine Sabbath in more 

 favoured lands. Scarlet and bright blue are 

 the favourite, colours.of the females. 



Father Matthewhas-not overlooked Glene- 

 ask; nearly all the tenants are "teetotalers;" 

 and illicit distillation., once so prevalent in 

 the district, is now of rare occurrence. 



The unavoidable difficulties of a new set- 

 tler during the first year ar« most consider- 

 ably met by the admirable system of Colonel 

 Robinson, the director, which provides him 

 with the means of subsistence by employ- 

 ment, in making the main drains and fences 

 by his own allotment, thus rendering him 

 indepeodent of the land, until it is made, by 

 his own labour, to produce a crop. The rate 

 of wages is &d. per day : lOJ. per perch is 

 paid fcr the fences; 4J. per perch for the 

 larger main drains, and 2<i. for the smaller. 

 Some good attempts at a dairy have been 

 made by several of the small holders, and 

 Miss Lermont is indefatigable in her efforts 

 to insiruet them in the making of cheese, 

 storage for which is provided at the farmery. 



The want of capital is often talked of as 

 the cause of defective farming among the 

 occupying tenants in Ireland; but what 

 would capital avail them without the know- 

 ledge of its application] whereas personal 

 instruction and encouragement would make 

 their present capital— their labour — produce 

 fourfold. Agricultural societies may do much 

 for those who are able to read, and are other- 

 wise more enlightened than theirneighbors: 



but what have they eflected, comparatively, 

 for tiie cotter tenant, unable to read — per- 

 haps, like some of the Gleneask tenants, 

 unable to understand English? He may 

 doubtless see the results of good farming at 

 the annual shows, and, if he can aflbrd it, 

 hear the speeches and dissertations at the 

 agricultural dinners; but will this induce 

 him to thorough drain, subsoil plough, or 

 sow turnips? or, if he were willing to learn, 

 instruct him how the work should be done] 

 Practical, sound instruction, is the only mode 

 suited to the small farmer. It is not only 

 necessary to tell him, but to show him how 

 the work is to be done: the stimulants of 

 precept and reward are insufficient — per- 

 sonal instruction, encouragement, and su- 

 perintendance, are wanting. To supply 

 those wants, is one of the main subjects of 

 the Irish Waste Land Impro"ement Society. 

 Col. Robinson is not satisfied with the ordi- 

 nary statement of rent and arrears, but ex- 

 amines personally every cottage, goes over 

 every acre of reclaimed land, directs, cor- 

 rects, and encourages. A cheerful recogni- 

 tion, a good humoured reproof, a friendly 

 jest or encouraging remark, play upon the 

 surface of a well considered system of moral 

 and physical improvement. Human nature, 

 in whatever grade, requires some stimulant 

 for the development of her faculties; and 

 whether it be wealth or power, prize or 

 honour, or even the lowly stimulant of the 

 poor Irish cotter — mere subsistence — where 

 the pressure is not felt, the machinery be- 

 comes inert, and the "time enough" and 

 "well enough" assume the places of labour 

 and activity. 



This no doubt involves labour and agricul- 

 tural knowledge on the part of those en- 

 trusted with the management of estates; 

 but men qualified to undertake such duties 

 are not wanting; and how gratifying must 

 be the sensations of that landlord who can 

 point to a large tract of reclaimed mountain, 

 or a recent moor teeming with profitable 

 vegetation, and say — These once sterile 

 acres aflbrd now food and shelter to a thriv- 

 ing peasantry, blessing, like the quality of 

 mercy— 



" loth him Ihat gives, and him that takes." 



Chambers^ Journal. 



Fine Cow. — A late number of the Mas- 

 sachusells Ploughman gives an account of 

 a native cow, belonging to the Editor, which 

 gave recently fifteen and a quarter pounds 

 of buttei from the milk of one week. The 

 quantity of milk was not near so large aa 

 that of some others, it being but 108^ qts. in 

 the week. Her live weight ia about 950 lbs. 



