Tlie Prize System as applied to Small Farmers in Ireland. 407 
were sold last year. And the return from poultry may be 
estimated from the following figures : — 
The sale of eggs exceeds 51. a year. Six dozen of chickens 
were sold last year, at an average of Is. each ; 13 turkeys and 
5 geese were also sold. 
The food purchased for the live-stock costs between 21. and 
3/. a year. 
The house presents all the appearance of a happy home. It 
is not too much to say that if all the improvable small farms of 
the county Monaghan were improved to the same extent as those 
described above, the incomes of their occupants would be 
doubled, their comforts and happiness would be increased in 
a still greater degree, and the entire aspect of society in the 
district would be permanently improved. 
Ballinvally, near Castletowndelvin, Co. Westmeath. 
The greater portion of the land of Westmeath is divided into 
large holdings, which are occupied by graziers. 
In several parts of the county there are a good many small 
farms. This is the case in the neighbourhood of Ballinvally 
National School, which is on the property of the Right Hon. 
Col. Tighe, of Woodstock, county Kilkenny, and is within a 
mile of Castletowndelvin. 
Ballinvally was accordingly deemed to be a good district 
in which to try the Spencer scheme. 
For want of local aid, the system has not been as beneficial 
as elsewhere. From the outset, Col. Tighe was good enough 
to encourage his own tenants to compete by offering to give 
to any of them who might win a prize the same sum as Lord 
Spencer. 
As nothing was done to increase the number of prizes beyond 
the three originally endowed by Lord Spencer, those who failed 
in the earlier years became disheartened. 
The working of the system in this district has, however, 
proved its capability of effecting the objects which Lord 
Spencer had in view. As an illustration, I instance the case 
of James Johnston, who holds 6 a. 3 r. 20 p. (statute), from 
Lord Greville, at a rent of 6Z. 16s. Id. a year. This man 
competed for the first time in 1873, when he scored 272 marks 
out of a total of 600, and got third prize. At the time he 
appeared to me to be a most industrious and deserving man. 
The system of cropping he pursued was, however, so defective, 
that for cultivation of the land he got only 100 out of 300 
marks. There were neither roots nor artificial grass. The advan- 
tages of these crops were quietly explained to him. He seemed 
VOL. XIII. — S. S. 2 F 
