SHEEP. 77 



Wool in the Fleece, Ireland. 



In the year 1774 



s.d. 



, 775 10 o 

 , 77 6 16 6 



1777 17 6 



1778 oo 



1779 ~~ _L 



Average, 13 



Wool in the Fleece, Lincolnjbire. 

 Tod reduced 



to ftone of 



s.d. 



In the year 1774 " ' 90 



775 ~ 9 6 



1776 10 o 



1777 ~ 9 9 



1778 80 

 177911 69 



Average, 93 



47 per cent higher in Ireland that in England 



From hencr it appears, that wool has been amazingly higher 

 in Ireland, which accounts for the fuperiority in the profit of 

 {Keep. There are feveral rep.fons for their height of price, 

 but the principal are a decreafe in the quantity produced, and 

 at the fame time an encreafe in the confumption. The boun- 

 ty on the inland carriage of corn, as I fhall fhew hereafter, has 

 occafioned the ploughing up great traces of fheep walk ; and 

 at the fame time the poor people have improved in their cloath- 

 ing very much : thefe reafons are fully fufficient to account for 

 that rife in the price of wool, which has brought it to be higher 

 than the Englifh rate. There is, however, another very pow- 

 erful reafon, which has had a conftant operation, and which 

 is the cheapnefs of fpinning ; in Ireland this is twopence half- 

 penny and threepence, but in England fivepence and fispence. 

 Great quantities are therefore fpun into yarn in Ireland, 

 and in that ftate exported to England, for the price of the la- 

 bour is fo low, that a yarn manufacturer can afford to give a 

 much higher price for wool than an Englifh one, and yet 

 fell the yarn itfelf, after the expence of freight is added, as 

 cheap as Englifti yarn. The quantities of yarn, c. export- 

 ed, will be feen hereafter. 



Many gentlemen hav^ made very fpirited attempts in im- 

 proving the cattle and flieep in Ireland, fo that the mixture ot 

 the Englifh breed of cattle has fpread all over the kingdom, ; 

 Englifli flieep are alfo extending. The minutes of the jour- 

 ney fhew that the fizc pi the bullocks is much encreafed in the 

 lail twenty years. 



But profitable as fheep are in Ireland, they are not near fo as 

 tTiey might be, if turneps were properly attended to: and the 

 reafon why oxen and cows yield ftill lefs is the fame deficiency. 

 The mildnefs of the climate enables the (lock- mailer to do 

 with but little winter food, and this natural advantage proves 



Communicated by Mr. Jojbiia Pirn in the woollen trade, Dublin. 

 Communicated by Mr. James Oaks in the iveolkn trade, Bury. 



