5 18 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



neither orchards nor gardens, but gladly eat the fruit of both when given 

 to them. The greater part of their land is laid down in pasture ; little is 

 cultivated, a very small quantity is ornamented with flowers, and a still 

 smaller is sown. They seldom yoke less than four oxen to their ploughs ; 

 the driver walks before, but backwards, and when he falls down, is frequently 

 exposed to danger from the refractory oxen. 1 



" The nation is, above all others, addicted to the digging up of boundary 

 ditches, removing the limits, transferring landmarks, and extending their 

 territory by every possible means. So great is their disposition towards this 

 common violence, that they scruple not to claim as their hereditary right, 

 those lands which are held under lease, or at will, on condition of planting, 

 or by any other title, even although indemnity had been publicly secured on 

 oath to the tenant by the lord proprietor of the soil." 2 



At this stage it may be remarked that it is doubtful how far improve- 

 ments in agricultural methods were possible under the Welsh or any other 

 tribal system. The Welsh were not indeed forced by congestion from pasture 

 to tillage before the Conquest forced individual ownership upon them ; and 

 to that extent therefore a chance of showing whether their farming would 

 have improved was not given them. But, even if they had got the chance, 

 the conditions under which they lived rendered great agricultural develop- 

 ments impossible. Each tribe was ready to fly at every other, unless when 

 a number combined against a common enemy. Thus, security of tenure, one 

 of the first essentials to improvement, did not exist for many tribes. Nor, 

 because of frequent removals to fit in with the family system of inheritance, 

 did security of tenure and temptation to improvement exist for the individual 

 tribesmen. It may be remarked also that, at the present day, where tribal 

 systems or even village systems exist, agriculture is usually in a comparatively 

 backward condition. 



As a mere matter of curiosity, let us quote a few random passages from 

 Leland's Itinerary, written about 1536-39, to show how the old inclination 

 for pasture and the tribal setting out of holdings lingered on in Wales 

 long after the tribal system was broken down : — In Ventland " The country 

 is also sumwhat montayneus, and welle replenished with woodes, also very 

 fertyle of corne, but men there study more to pastures the which be wel 

 inclosed. 



" Cairarvonshire about the shore hath reasonable good corne, as abouth a 

 niyle upland from the shore on to Cairavon. Then more upwarde be Eryri 

 Hills, and in them is very little corne, except otes in sum places, and a little 

 bade, but scantly rye. 



Giraldus Cambrensis, p. 505. ' Ibid., p. 512. 



