22 A HISTORY OF 



to such an extent, that application was made to the 

 Lords Justices for accommodation in one or two of the 

 vaults under the Parliament House, where they might 

 be viewed by agriculturists, &c. This is the earliest 

 instance recorded, in Great Britain or Ireland, of the 

 formation of an Agricultural Museum. The exhibition 

 was opened on the 22nd of February 1733. 



In the early part of the year 1733, a report on 

 collieries at Ballycastle, 1 and on some minerals from 

 the volcano in Kerry, 2 engaged the attention of the 

 members. The question of Hop culture 3 also came 

 before them, and a sum of ^5 was voted to Mr. 

 Hatfield for a journey to the Hop country in England, 

 for the purpose of ascertaining the best mode of 

 managing hops, with a view to his giving instructions 

 on his return. As possibly a result of these inquiries, 

 hops from Farnham were planted in 1739 in the 

 Society's field. The encouragement of tillage was a 

 subject of such anxious care to the Society, that the 

 Secretary was directed to open communications with 

 the Society formed in North Britain, to ascertain 

 its views and mode of proceeding. Attention was 

 also being directed to paper manufacture, earthen, 

 iron, and glass ware, salt, hemp, and dyeing stuffs. 

 The earliest notice of anything connecting the Society 

 with the fishing industry occurs on the ist of November 



1 Haliday Pamphlets, cxi. No. 3. Ballycastle Collieries set in their 

 proper light^ with answers to several objections against the benefits 

 that may arise to the Kingdom thereby. (Geo. Faulkner, 1733.) 



2 Smith, in his History of Kerry (p. 220), in mentioning the castles 

 of Lick and Dune, near Ballybunion, speaks of what was termed a 

 Volcano^ which burst out on the high cliffs between these castles, 

 some fourteen years previously. He considered it an accidental 

 burning of combustible matter on the external surface of the cliff, in 

 the composition of which were pyrite, sulphur, and iron ore. 



3 There is a pamphlet entitled, Instructions for Planting and 

 Managing Hops, issued by the Dublin Society, among the Haliday 

 Collection (1733, cxi. No. 4). 



