390 
On Climate and the Supply of Labour 
of acres, keep on tliem stock valued only at 18 millions of money. 
But the cattle on botli sizes of farm are valued at the same rate, 
G/. 10s. per head. It is evident that the cattle of the small 
farmer much more nearly approach this value than the cattle of 
the large farmer. Large farmers, as a rule, have much larger 
and more improved cattle of all ages than small farmers ; and 
nearly all the fatting and fat cattle. Mr. Thompson's estimate 
of the weight of cattle killed in England is 600 lbs. per head 
on an average, which at present prices would make their value a 
good deal over 20/. each. The cattle of large farmers in Ireland 
probably do not weigh much less than the average of all English 
cattle killed, and after all due allowance for the value above 
6/. 10s. of the cattle of small farmers, there must be a large 
excess in the value per head of the cattle of large farmers. If 
this excess is only fifty per cent., and it is probably much more, 
it will quite alter the inference Mr. Pringle draws. Considering 
how few turnips, &c., Irish small farmers grow, and how much 
they overstock their grass, and that they use no cake or bought 
food, it would be strange indeed if they thus grew more 
pounds of meat than are grown on better managed large grass 
farms. 
The last three years have been excellent seasons for grass in 
Ireland. With the same stock every farmer has had plenty of 
grass ; even those usually overstocked have had enough, and their 
stock has profited accordingly. Many have thus been taught 
the lesson of the profit of feeding stock better ; the price a well- 
fed animal of any age has brought in the market has been so out 
of proportion to the price of an ill-fed one that the most back- 
ward has had the point driven into his head, and efforts at better 
feeding for the sake of the better profit have been numerous. I 
think the young cattle sold in the next few years will show the 
effect of this better feeding. 
Such a number of calves as have been reared this year in 
Ireland was never seen since the world began. It is caused by 
the great price of young stock in the past year. The country 
positively swarms with calves. Hitherto small farmers have usually 
reared only heifer calves, and the bulls have gone to the butcher 
at once. This year bulls and heifers have been alike reared. 
This, too, if the demand continues, will in a few years help 
greatly to improve the quality of Irish stock. When the bull 
calves were sold for a trifle to the butcher at once, and many of 
the heifers kept as cows for himself, the backward farmer felt 
little the gain of putting a good bull to his cows. Where now 
he has so many to sell, the difference in the price of a well-bred 
calf or yearling on such a number will soon work more care in 
the choice of a bull. But most of the calves must be sold be- 
