338 



Improvements in Irish Agriculture. 



Vol. X. 



extent an honorary one, such as splendid! 

 clocks, silver cups, &z,c. It would be thej 

 easiest thing in the world to cant a little on' 

 this subject by saying that money would be 

 more useful to the tenant. The greatest 

 permanent benefit the tenants derive from! 

 the system of rewards, would be to make 

 them good farmers. This would not only^ 

 relieve the presents wants, but, with the or-' 

 dinary blessings of Providence, would guard 

 against the future. If a showy testimonial 

 of his victory, like an elegant clock, or a| 

 piece of plate, will influence him more than 

 money to such a result, then it is unques- 

 tionably better to offer him the former. Tliat 

 the devisers of the scheme understood well 

 whom they had to deal with, the result 

 shows. I certainly have never read of 

 keener contests for agricultural superiority 

 than those of the tenants forming this asso- 

 ciation, nor, I will add, those that interested 

 me more. And there is another feature in 

 this system which appears to work well, 

 and which would be incompatible with mo- 

 ney premiums. It is this. The ownership 

 of these clocks, etc., is not secured by one 

 victory. Three are necessary to that end. 

 The design of this, and it seems to produce 

 that effect, is to lead to sustained exertions. 

 Premiums, as commonly paid, often go to 

 reward a more desultory effort, or "good 

 luck." It is amusing to learn in the reports 

 of the committees at the Market Hill meet- 

 ing, and in the published remarks of Mr. 

 Blaker, the strong exertions of the victors 

 of last year to maintain their superiority 

 this. Afler the last whirlwind charge of 

 the French at Waterloo — an empire staked 

 on the "issue of a die," and lost — Bonaparte 

 left not the disastrous field a more thorougk- 

 ly defeated man, in his own estimation, than 

 some of the losers of these clocks and cups ! 

 One brave fellow had done his utmost — but 



a trivial error in a nice point had robbed 

 him of victory. I can fancy his look of 

 pride humbled, of disappointment acutely 

 felt but manfully borne ! This was too 

 much ! Lord Gosford^ immediately declared 

 he should retain his clock — and to the victor 

 he awarded a still more expensive one ! Be- 

 fore dismissing this part of the subject, it 

 may be well enough to remark, however, 

 that all the bounties or premiums are not 

 paid in this way. Seeds, guano, etc., for 

 the use of the land, are from time to time 

 distributed to reward improvements.* 



1 have hitherto omitted to state the par- 

 ticular objects for which these premiums are 

 paid. They are paid invariably, I believe, 

 for the best managed farm, including all 

 their crops, their proper rotation, their adap- 

 tation to the greatest amount or maximum 

 of production, without unnecessary or im- 

 proper exhaustion of the soil, — stocks of all 

 kinds, — management of manures, — perma- 

 nent improvements, such as draining, fences, 

 buildings, &c. — in a word, the greatest im- 

 provement to the farm and the greatest pro- 

 fit to the tenant. This is no doubt better 

 both for landlord and tenant, in the circum- 

 stances in which these parties are placed to- 

 wards each other, in Ireland, than to pay 

 bounties on separate animals and crops. 



The size of the farms of the great body of 

 the Irish tenants, would strike an American 

 farmer with surprise. Perhaps the average 

 would not exceed ten English acres. But 

 do these men, if they have families, get a 

 comfortable living on these mere " patches" 

 of land ] If we may trust the assertions of 

 Mr. Blaker, they do, — although the land is 

 in many cases of a very inferior quality, 

 until improved by the tenant. 



The following table will give an idea of 

 what the land supports : 



Stock on ten farms, containing 98 acres, 3 roods, 20 perches, on Lord Gcsford!'s estate. 



* Large quantities of the seeds of such crops as it is considered important to introduce and extend, are also 

 lent out to the tenants. On the Gosford and Drumbanaahor estates, says Mr. Blaker, 42 bushels of turnip seed, 

 9 tons of clover seed, 138 bushels of vetches, and 512 bushels of grass seed, were thus lent to the smaller ten- 

 ants during the past season. 



