620 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



The manures used are mainly sea-weed and farmyard manure. 

 In the mountains the practice of burning the land is common. 



The pasture is fairly good, but the cattle and sheep are inferior, 

 though efforts are now being made to improve the breeds. 



An average family has a couple of pigs, a cow or two and some 

 sheep, a large number of fowl, geese and ducks, and a donkey or 

 horse. 



The fuel used is turf obtained from the bogs, which are extensive, 

 except in the southern part of the Mullet ; and the islands which have 

 now no turf of their own import from Achill or Ballycroy. 



A very considerable quantity of kelp is made, on which, in the 

 Mullet, a royalty is charged by the landlord. About Portacloy there 

 is no royalty paid. 



Fishing employs many of the men, though until lately the fish 

 taken was merely for home use. The kinds usually caught are 

 turbot, mackerel, ling, cod, and herrings ; all of these, except the 

 turbot, are now cured at the fishing stations established at several 

 parts of the coast by the government. For home consumption, much 

 is eaten fresh, but a good deal of it is roughly salted for winter 

 use. 



Lobsters are mostly taken by the men of Inishkea, and by a 

 couple of boats at Portacloy. The Inishkea men, while at this 

 fisliing, mostly live in very primitive huts on Inisglora, where they 

 stay away from their families for six weeks or two months at a time. 

 The lobsters are sold in Belmullet for about five shillings per dozen, 

 and are sent by car to Ballina and thence to England. The lobster 

 pots are mostly of home manufacture. 



The fishery stations mentioned above now afford employment to 

 many who formerly had no means of disposing of their surplus time 

 and fish. 



Large quantities of eggs are exported from this district, Belmullet 

 being the largest egg exporting centre in Ireland. They are brought 

 into the town by the country people and sold to dealers, who, when 

 they have collected a sufficient quantity, send them on to Ballina, 

 whence they are sent to England. Butter is also exported in the 

 summer and autumn. 



Illicit distilling is carried on to some extent in this district, 

 though not at all so prevalent as formerly. The stills are made in the 

 people's homes by travelling tinkers who live with the family until 

 the job is finished. 



A good deal of homespun is made, but the dyes are not obtained 



