284 IRISH TOBACCO 



lower leaves at the right point, whereas the big 

 grower has to let them over-ripen to the stage of 

 " trash." 



Of course there are many men experienced in Irish 

 affairs who look upon this tobacco-growing movement 

 as a will-o'-the-wisp, vainly diverting the Irish farmer 

 from the straightforward prosecution of his business. 

 Why trouble about an exotic like tobacco when over 

 many parts of the country men do not know how to 

 grow turnips ? Even in Meath the little graziers have 

 forgotten how to plough ! The answer is that every 

 farmer is not being counselled to grow tobacco ; and 

 again, that one vitally interesting and remunerative 

 crop, even if only small in extent, has a way of stimu- 

 lating and tuning up the management of all the rest 

 of the farm. 



