as affecting Agriculture in Ireland. 
385 
favour of breaking up inferior grass so often urged in drier 
climates have very little place in our wet climate. There is very 
little land so bad that if it is once in good condition will not 
grow grass well in this climate. When the land needs breaking up 
it is almost always only as the best means of adding condition 
in order again to put it in grass. 
Of course what I have said in no way affects the correctness 
of Mr. Pringle's complaints of bad grass-farming. No doubt, 
too, there is some land that cannot profitably be kept in grass 
beyond a few years. I believe, also, there is a tract of 
country in the East and North-east of Ireland, from Wexford to 
Down inclusive, where the climate is more favourable to tillage 
than elsewhere. When land is foul with weeds, and much worn 
out, cultivation with heavy manuring of green crops, is the most 
economical, if not the only way of getting it into condition ; and 
without some roots and straw for winter it is not easy on middling 
land to manage a heavy stock to the best advantage ; but I think 
the problem of profitable farming in these times in Ireland is 
(or at least is fast becoming) with how little cultivation a farm 
in grass can be successfully managed. There is a great change 
since the time when Mr. Algernon Clarke, whom Mr. Pringle 
quotes as his authority, wrote of Irish farming. The price of 
stock, and of most grass products, has immensely increased. 
The cost of labour has greatly increased too ; not only are wages 
much higher, which is not to be complained of, but labourers in 
Ireland usually give less and worse labour for their hire. It was 
bad enough before with low wages, it is worse now with much 
higher wages, whatever it may ultimately come to. Emigration, 
too, is steadily lessening the supply of labour year by year. 
When I began, thirty years ago, if I gave out overnight that I 
wanted fifty men next morning for a job of work, 100 would be 
on the ground begging for employment. Several years ago, 
being pretty forward with draining and such improvements, I 
bethought me that it would be well to devote money to the im- 
provement of labourers' houses over the estate. I had already 
built good houses for most of the men in my own regular em- 
ployment. When I came practically to consider the subject I 
found that everything was in such a transition state that it was 
wiser to wait a while, and see what houses would be really 
wanted and where. It was well I did so, for now there are a 
number of labourers' houses on all parts of the estate standing 
empty, some of them fairly good slated houses, much superior to 
the common cabins of the country ; more are yearly being left 
empty. 
Extra jobs of draining, &c., can no longer be done in most 
years at a reasonable cost, or a fair increase on former prices. 
