302 THE WESTERN SEABOARD 



ship that will more adequately replace the lost influence 

 of the old owners who have failed and been driven 

 out. That they did fail was again impressed upon us 

 as we drove across the great midland plain from 

 Ballinasloe to Dublin mile after mile of undulating 

 grassland showing no great evidence of good manage- 

 ment, though the tall untidy hedges demonstrated the 

 capacity of the soil and climate. All the sparse 

 villages begin and end with ruined cottages ; the 

 country between contains no habitations ; rarely was 

 a man to be seen in the fields ; it is hard to avoid 

 exaggeration, but the land might almost be described 

 as a green fertile desert. That such a state of things 

 should have come about the landlords are not alone 

 responsible ; but for good or evil in this generation 

 they have been made to pay. 



Still our visit had impressed upon us a more hopeful 

 view of Irish farming, for everywhere we found men on 

 the look out for improvement, persuaded that they 

 could make more of their land, and anxious for new 

 ideas as to how it could be done. On the material 

 side land purchase has undoubtedly been the most 

 potent factor in creating this feeling ; it has not only 

 given the occupier security and the sense that he is 

 entirely thrown upon his own resources, but it has 

 removed the temptation and even the external pressure 

 to farm badly in order to reduce rents. But the 

 material is not the whole or even the most potent 

 factor in the situation ; we have to recognize the 

 quickening of national consciousness, the new spirit in 

 young Ireland, which, as regards agriculture, has been 

 expressed and organized by Sir Horace Plunkett. Not 

 only do many of the landlords see in the settlement 

 of the land question a chance of winning back their 

 position of leaders of the people, of being of service to 



