386 
On Climate and the Supply of Labour 
Men are not to be had, except a few at slack times of year, and 
they will not do wet, unpleasant work except for very high pay,- 
and in their own lazy way. It is often said that one advantage 
of more and better cultivation would be additional employment 
for labourers. I have always thought this a fallacy. There is 
more profitable work in draining, &c., wanting to be done in 
Ireland, exclusive of the reclamation of real waste land, than all 
the labourers could do in two generations, even if they worked weLl. 
There is no good reason, therefore, for the sake of the labourers, 
for departing from the sound principle of political Economy, that 
such mode of farming should be followed as will leave the largest 
net profit (true), whether it be grass or tillage farming. In truth, 
even such lightish land as I have described, when it is laid down, 
iq grass in good condition, produces excellently and for many 
years. The number of years that it will produce well in grass 
without showing signs of going back, wholly depends on the 
condition it is in when laid down, and on the treatment of the 
grass. In the neighbourhood of towns, where manure can be 
bought, top-dressing grass is a very favourite course, and is thought 
to answer especially well. Except in such places manuring grass 
is little understood or practised. How far artificial manures, as 
recommended by Mr. Tliompson, of Kirby Hall,* will effect a 
permanant improvement in grass on such a soil as ours, which 
is not strong land, may perhaps be doubtful ; but it is certain 
that any phosphates of which the soil is deprived by milk or 
grazing can be thus restored at small cost ; and it is also certain 
that there are many intelligent men in Ireland, ready to ti"y Mr. 
Thompson's prescription, and all other suggestions for keeping- 
up the condition of grass land. 
The conclusion I wish to draw from the facts and considerations 
I have stated is, that Ireland, notably the South and West, is from 
its climate a land of grass, and that for farming profitably in 
Ireland grass should be the first object, and tillage only so far as 
it helps the grass. I believe this is what all our best farmers are, 
consciously or unconsciously, working to. Mr. Pringle's strictures 
on the fault of much of our Irish grass farming are generally quite 
true, and the remedy he proposes is in a measure good, but only 
in a measure — ^not as an end, but as a means to better grass. 
In truth our grass privileges (as an American might call them), 
are very great. Farmers, who know their business, are doing ex- 
cellently. It is sometimes said that landowners farming their 
own land in Ireland lose by it. Never was there a greater delu- 
sion. The profit on grass farming makes it all easy, whatever 
* Vide ' Journal Royal Agricultiual Society,' 2ncl series, vol. viii., Part I., No. 
XV., p. 174. 
