404 
Illustrations of Irish Farming. 
equal, as any decrease in the value of one class of produce is 
usually made up by a rise on others. 
The objections generally urged against this system are that 
labourers are not to be had when required, and that when pro- 
cured their wages run so high that employment of labour in farm 
work becomes too expensive to admit of tillage farming being 
remunerative. Mr. Simson, however, finds no difficulty whatever 
arising from such causes. Although he is now paying his 
labouiers of all kinds fully 75 to 80 per cent, higher wages than 
he did when he became tenant of the farm, yet his labour account 
at the end of the year is not heavier now than it was during the 
early years of his occupancy. The labour bill at Cloona Castle 
has been about 1200/. a year for the last 17 years, or say 2/. an 
acre on each acre under root and cereal crops. Mr. Simson 
keeps a number of persons in employment as extra labourers, 
at draining and other kinds of work, and these come in to help 
at a pinch. Their wages, with constant employment, when 
engaged in day-labour, are Is. per day ; when engaged in draining 
they are paid by measurement. The ploughmen have from lis. 
to 14s. a week, according to experience, foremen ploughmen 
getting more ; day labourers get 8s. to 9s. per week. Women 
constantly employed on the farm, wet and dry, get 8cf. per day 
in summer, and Id. in winter, and some have in addition, free 
houses, 1000 yards of potatoes planted for them, and liberty to 
cut as much turf for fuel as they please, which is carted home to 
them from the bog. The ploughmen are engaged by the year, 
but the engagement may terminate with a month's notice on 
either side. They seldom change, and there are men now 
working on the farm as ploughmen and in other capacities, who 
entered into Mr. Simson's employment 17 years ago. 
The causes which have operated in keeping the labour bill 
steady as to the total amount, notwithstanding a rise of 75 or 80 
per cent, in wages, have been, in the first place, the steadiness of 
the people, and next, the extended use of field machinery, more 
especially mowing and reaping machines. Of these Mr. Simson 
uses four of Samuelson's self-delivery reapers, one Samuelson's 
combined machine, and one of Wood's machines. In 1870 he 
harvested 400 acres of corn, having the crop safe in the stack- 
yard in 23 days from beginning harvest ; and in 1871, although 
interrupted by broken weather at first, the crop of fully 400 acres 
was all safe in the yard within a month after commencing 
operations. Last year, notwithstanding the very unfavourable 
nature of the weather during harvest, the crops on Mr. Simson's 
farms were all cut and carried within 35 days from the com- 
mencement of harvest operations. All this was effected without 
