234 



Sir Robert Kane observed, in explanation of the above 

 remarks, that he could not at all admit the coincidence Pro- 

 fessor Oldham asserted between the deposits marked on the 

 geological map, and the lands of highest value depicted on 

 the map of Sir Robert Kane's construction. It is true there 

 exists along the east coast of Wicklov? a quantity of clays 

 and marls, and the lands in that locality are of superior value ; 

 but it is at once seen that these lands are situated all along 

 the great line of intercourse from Dublin to Wexford, and that 

 they group round the principal towns of Bray, Wicklow, and 

 Arklow, as centres, showing that, although certain geological 

 materials must be present as the fundamental basis for the 

 agricultural value of a district, the financial value, in prac- 

 tical cases, is specially determined by the influence of econo- 

 mic and social causes. This is peculiarly shown by the 

 relations of the western side of the same county, where it is 

 seen that the values are quite independent of the recent 

 deposits marked on the geological map, the highest values 

 grouping themselves round the towns, and localities occupied 

 by recent geological deposits being, in many cases, estimated 

 as of the inferior degree of value. The valuation map of 

 Kildare is also peculiarly useful in showing this, as the great 

 lines of western and south-western traffic are prominently dis- 

 played by the greater value of the lands along them, and also 

 the higher money price of the land round towns is similarly 

 shown ; but this arrangement of the values does not connect 

 itself, in any intimate degree, with the differences of geolo- 

 gical character which that county is known to present. 



In regard to the objection that the unit of valuation being 

 a townland, and that, in a townland consisting partly of bad 

 and partly of good land, the average value might be incorrect 

 for each. Sir Robert Kane remarks, that the instances of those 

 irregularities are very rare, and do not affect the result, as they 

 disappear in the second class of maps, where the groups of 

 values are united to frame a classification adapted to practice. 



