March 1896.] PARLIAMENT ARY PUBLIGATIONS. 



463 



PARLIAMENTARY PUBLICATIONS. 



Congested Districts Board for Ireland, Fourth Report, for the 

 jyeriod from the 1st of April 1894 to theSlst of March 1895. 

 [C— 7791.] Price 3d 



In the section of this Report which relates to agriculture it 

 is stated that 20 example holdings had been worked under the 

 -Board's instructors in the Clifden district, co. Gal way" and in 

 the Achill and Kiltimagh districts, co. Mayo, but it was con- 

 sidered desirable to abandon a few of the holdings originally 

 taken up, as the occupiers were either unwilling or unable to 

 give the requisite attention to the cultivation of the plots. 



Although each example holding is worked on what is con- 

 sidered to be the best system which the occupier is willing to 

 adopt, yet one general principle is followed throughout, namely, 

 that of taking in rotation a corn crop, a manured green crop, 

 and a corn crop, with which the land is laid down with grass 

 and clover seeds, to be left down until the land is needed by the 

 requirements of the rotation. 



The principal faults in the working of the ordinary class of 

 small holdings in the poorest congested districts are, in the first 

 place, a want of thorough cultivation and suitable manuring, and, 

 secondly, a neglect to lay land down with good grass and clover 

 seeds. The first fault leads to the use, or rather waste, of a 

 larger areii. of land for the produce required than would be 

 necessary under better farming, while the second fault or omis- 

 sion involves the deterioration of the land, and also its being 

 frequently left idle and waste. 



It is believed that much improvement will gradually be 

 effected by the steps which the Board are making in the intro- 

 duction of small ploughs and cultivators capable of being worked 

 by ponies or donkeys, of suitable artificial manures to be used 

 in conjunction with farm-yard manure or seaweed, and of seeds 

 of good quality. 



It is not proposed to extend the number of example holdings 

 to any considerable extent in the localities in which the experi- 

 ment is being tried, as it is believed that the number is sufficient 

 for the purpose of serving as examples, and the methods adopted 

 -on them are being followed by many occupiers of neighbouring 

 holdings. 



In addition to the operations mentioned above, a number of 

 small occupiers in the Kiltimagh district, county Mayo, have 

 been assisted in providing improved farm offices, cattle houses, 

 pigstyes, barns, &c., and in one instance a dwelling-house is 

 being remodelled and improved. This improvement scheme has 

 not yet been completed. In the cases in which applications have 



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