42 
Relative Profits to the Farmer from 
and apace with this process the agricultural population has emigrated and is- 
emigrating. 
The change has brought with it this result, that there are now in Ireland 
nearly 1,200,000 acres less of cereal crops grown than there were a quarter of 
a century ago, and of course a corresponding diminution of green crop. This 
serious transition from tillage husbandry to pasturage has had a most vital 
eflfect upon stock-breeding in Ireland. 
The demand for agricultural horse-power has materially decreased. The 
tillage husbandry that has ceased was carried on mainly by the small holders 
of land, who maintained horse-power jointly and severallj- amongst each other, 
considerably beyond what was needed upon a large estate system. They 
combined their farming with breeding horses. The small farmer's mare pro- 
duced her annual foal, keeping up a regular succession for the horse-market, 
and enabling the small farmer to recoup himself for the excess of horse- 
power he maintained upon his holding. 
Few if any of the large holders keep brood mares exclusively for breeding 
purposes, i^'otwithstanding high prices, horse-breeding is regarded as un- 
certain, expensive, and requiring skilful personal care and attention of servants 
or labomers, at present difScult to procure. 
As a general rule, tenant-farmers do not and will not adopt horse-breeding 
per se as a mode of farming. They regard cattle and sheep as more certain 
and profitable. Gentlemen farmers and owners in fee are now tempted to do 
more in that way, but are deterred by the difBculty of meeting with steady 
careful servants upon whom the results would turn ; and this drawback is 
increasing. I may add that suitable sound stallions of the different classes 
are not generally accessible. 
As to cattle in Ireland, many sincere well-wishers of the country have 
indulged in the fallacy that Ireland being adapted generally by soil and climate 
for grazing purposes, it was best that tillage should give way to j^turage. 
Those theorists are not aware that more horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, &c., could 
be " raised," and more beef and mutton brought to market under a system of 
rotation husbandry suited to the particular soil. In the first place, the tendency 
and effect of the present or modem system of running indiscriminately into 
grass farming is to revert to the old barbarous mode of husbandry — leaving 
the surface to nature — ignoring the improved husbandry of the age and the 
aid of machinery, &c. In the next place, our winter keep is thus made a 
limited quantity, restricted mainly to the hay crop, which is in our climate 
a very precarious provision when unaided by grain, straw, and turnips. 
As it is, our local cattle-mart is entirely influenced by the export market — 
more especially the store-cattle trade. If owing to any causes the English or 
Scotch import trade experienced a check, a complete reaction — nay ,^ panic — 
would set in on this side of the Channel. Winter fodder would go up, store- 
cattle run down, and in the hands of holders run out of condition. 
The increasing scarcity and deai ness of labour is causing the larger holders 
of dairy farms — the extensive breeders of cattle of a good class — to give up 
that line of farming. Indoed, the class of maids, and skilled, careful, and 
trusty persons requisite for dairy purposes, have become so hard to get, that 
large breeding establishments of cattle have been broken up generally through- 
out the country, more especially within the last five years. 
The tendency is to have cattle-breeding restricted to the small farmer, 
whose own family — wife, daughters, and sons — can carry out the dairy oix'ra- 
tions. These form a limitetl class, and are decreasing, despite the high price 
of butter (owing greatly to foot-and-mouth disease). 
_ I leel bound to say that, as a nursery of good cattle, Ireland, under present 
circumstances, is retrograding. It will be found that Ireland can only be 
regarded in future as a breeding depot of a limited quantity of cattle for the 
