MONKNEWTON. 4 9 



poverty of the common Irifh refiding tenan- 

 try, and their characters to be fuch, that 

 they could not improve them as they fhould 

 bGj yet I underftand they are not much bet- 

 ter fatisfied than other tenants: and the rent 

 feems high. The farms were moflly let at 

 a time when the fpirit of taking land W'as 

 greater than at prefent, but it is far from an 

 high rent for land fo circumftanced and fitu- 

 ated, built and improved at the cxpenfe of 

 the landlord. Th^re is much in the neigh- 

 bourhood, efpecially towards Drogheda, let 

 at two guineas, and three pounds and up- 

 wards, per acre. He is a great friend to agri- 

 culture, has coniidered the fubjecl: much, and 

 was very anxious to introduce fomething 

 like the bell: Englifh husbandry on his Irifh 

 eftate, but that is ftill at a great diflance. He 

 endeavoured to break through the barbarous 

 cuftom of having the whole farm laid wafte 

 at the end of a leafe, and every inch plough- 

 ed up, but could not carry his point fur- 

 ther, than by giving great prefent advantages 

 to the tenants, to induce them to agree, that 

 the third part of the farms ihould not be 

 ploughed the laft four or five years of the 

 leafe. The foil is fo good, that if ufed ever 

 fo ill in that time, it will recover, and there 

 will be a very good fward. According to 

 the common method of leafing lands in many 

 parts of Ireland, the country is nearly waiie 

 and unprofitable, to the great prejudice of 

 the public, during feven or eight years in 

 Vol. I. E every 



