PASTURAGE AND TILLAGE COMPARED. 139 

 0; year, which confidering that the mafs of the people live 

 very much upon potatoes, is a great allowance, and iuggefts 

 the idea either that the people are more numerous, or that 

 more money is paid in bounties than there ought to be by 

 the ads, which is probable. 



I come now to confider one of the principal arguments 

 ufed in favour of this meafure. It is the increafe of tillage 

 being fo beneficial to the kingdom. Taken as a general po- 

 fition, there may or may not be truth in the aflertion : I am 

 apt to think rather more ftrefs is laid on it than there 

 ought to be, and fome reafons for that opinion may be feen in 

 Political Arithmetic, p. 363, &c. But not to enter into the 

 general quedion at prefent, i have to obferve two circum- 

 itances upon the date of Ireland ; firft the moifture of the 

 climate, and fecondly the fort of tillage introduced. 



That the climate is far moider than that of England I have 

 already given various reafons to conclude ; but the amazing 

 tendency of the foil to grafs would prove it if any proof was 

 wanting. Let general Cunningham and Mr. Silver Oliver 

 recolle<5t the inftanccs thay fhewed me of turnep land, and 

 ftubble left without ploughing, and yielding the fucceedirig 

 fummcr a full crop of hay. Thefe are fuch fads as we 

 have not an idea of in England. Nature therefore points 

 out in the cleared manner, the application of the foil in Ire- 

 land moft fuitable to the climate. But this moiftare which is 

 fo advantageous to-grafs, is pernicious to corn. The fined 

 corn in Europe and the world is uniformly found in the 

 dried countries ; it is the weight of wheat which points out 

 its goodnefs ; which lefTens per meafure gradually from Bar- 

 bery co Poland. The wheat of Ireland has no weight com- 

 pared with that of dry countries ; and I have on another 

 occafion obferved, that there is not a fample of a good colour 

 in the whole kingdom. The crops are full of grafs and 

 weeds, even in the bed management, and the harvefts are fo 

 wet and tedious as greatly to damage the produce ; but at 

 the fame time, and for the fame reafon cattle of all forts look 

 well, never failing of a full bite of excellent grafs : the very 

 dried fummers do not affect the verdure as in England. 



I do not make thefe obfervations. in order to conclude that 

 tillage will not do in Ireland. I know it may be made to do ; 

 but I would leave the vibrations from corn to padurage, and 

 from padurage to corn, to the cultivators of the land to guide 

 themfclves as prices and other circumdances direct, but by no 

 means force an extended tillage at the expence of bounties. 



But what is the tillage gained by this meafure ? It is that 

 fydem which formed the agriculture of England two hundred 

 years :tgo, and forms it yet in the word of our common fields, 

 but which all our exertions of enclofmg and improving are 

 bent to extirpate, i. Fallow. 2. Wheat ; and then fpring 

 corn until the foil is exhaudcd : or elfe, i. Fallow. 2. Wheat. 



3. Spring 



