Address to the Royal Geological Society of Ireland. 123 



Perhaps some of the lands that might be most profitably im- 

 proved are those made up of the debris of the Old Red Sandstone 

 (Silurian and Carboniferous). These rocks are principally sand- 

 stones, with which are associated a greater or less amount of 

 shales, clay-rocks, &c. The debris of the Carboniferous Old Rea 

 Sandstone often occurs, not only on the areas of the parent rocks 

 but also on the adjoining low grounds occupied by Carboniferous 

 Limestone andCambro-Silurian ; consequently the extent of ground 

 so covered is often considerably greater than that occupied by the 

 Old Red Sandstone rocks ; as in and adjoining the mountain groups 

 of Munster, Leinster, and Connaught. These lands generally are 

 easily improved, the principal expense consisting in clearing them 

 of the numerous blocks of stone with which they are encumbered. 

 The character of these lands from the agricultural point of view 

 is similar to that of those occupied by moraine drifts ; and their 

 present uncultivated condition is due to their having been forest 

 land 150 or 200 years ago. Hundreds of acres of these lands occur 

 in Munster and Connaught, especially in Waterford, Cork, Kerry, 

 Clare, Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, and elsewhere. 



There are also mountainous wastes on the tracts of Car- 

 boniferous Slate of the county Cork ; these principally require 

 drainage, clearing of stones, and judicious planting with timber to 

 considerably increase their value. While the Carboniferous Lime- 

 stone hills of Clare might be made more profitable if the winter 

 floods in the Turloughs, or flooded hollows, were preserved for 

 summer use ; this is practicable in most cases. 



On the Coal-measures the land is usually cold and bleak, and 

 large wastes occur, as in Cork, Kerry, Limerick, and Clare. Yet 

 draining, planting, and tilling will make even these profitable ; 

 as has been proved in isolated places in the different areas. In 

 the Leinster area considerable portions are in a fair state of culti- 

 vation, principally on account of the industry of the colliers. 

 Here it has been found that certain shales, raised out of the 

 coal pits, are most beneficial when used as top-dressing ; but not 

 all of them, as some kinds poison the land. 



There are also the waste lands on the Tertiary rocks of Ulster ; 

 these, however, principally occur in areas of whinstone, a rock 

 that has already been mentioned. 



