Parliamentary Publications. 



265 



would be unwilling to take the same trouble, and, according 

 to his view, to run the same risk for the entire, or for a large 

 part, of his farm. As this system makes its way it is likely 

 t?iat smaller inducements will suffice to encourage occupiers 

 to develop their land according to the most skilled methods. 

 Even now small farmers have been induced to carr)r out 

 improvements by drainage, reclamation, or fencing, on the 

 understanding that, if the work were satisfactorily done, an 

 example-plot would be taken up by the Board on the holding. 

 In such cases a permanent or lasting improvement is effected 

 in the value of the land, over and above the consideration 

 that a well-tilled plot will be maintained for the instruction 

 of the locality. It has also been found that in some cases 

 the neighbouring occupiers who observe the carrying-out 

 of such improvements follow the example, either from a 

 healthy spirit of rivalry or because they are convinced that 

 they will make money by doing so. 



In their last report the Board stated that they intended to 

 try to create a greater general interest in the example-plots 

 by subdividing some of them for the purpose -of comparing 

 the relative merits of applications of different manures or of 

 different systems of treatment. Arrangements have been made 

 for working about one hundred and fifty experimental plots 

 according to this method — (i) for the cultivation of wheat of 

 different varieties ; (2) for the comparative use of various 

 manures in the growing of potatoes, turnips, and mangolds 

 respectively, and for top-dressing grass-land ; for growing 

 different kinds of grass and clover seeds ; and for the use 

 of lime to prevent " finger-and-toe in the turnip crop. 

 The sub-plots, as they may be called, are about twenty 

 perches in area. 



Agricultural Statistics^ Ireland, with detailed Report on Agri- 

 culture for the year 1896. [C. — 8510.] Price \s. 2d, 



The statistics of acreage and produce of the crops and 

 of live-stock in Ireland in the year 1896 contained in this 

 volume have been already reproduced in this Journal. 



With regard to the number and size of holdings, it is stated 



