The Prize System as applied to Small Farmers in Ireland. 409 
As there is a very large number of small farms in the 
district, the school was selected as one of the centres for Lord 
Spencer's prize system. Lord Bessborough has co-operated in 
promoting it, not only by avowing his approval of the principle, 
but by subscribing to the fund. He distributes among his own 
tenants who appear on the merit list a sum equal to Lord 
Spencer's contribution. 
In each of the past two years we had for distribution 20/., 
viz. : — 
£ Si d. 
Lord Spencer's contribution 7 10 0 
Lord Bessborougk's contribution .. .. 7 10 0 
Irish Peasantry Society of London . . . . 5 0 0 
The interest which the system has excited in parts of this 
district is very great indeed. In one part of it the influence of 
the competition has been fully equal to anything I have seen 
elsewhere. I refer now to Coolasnaugh, which is a valley sur- 
rounded by mountains. 
The name is of Irish origin ; in English it relates to snow. 
True to its name, the background was covered with snow 
on the day of my visit, while the country all round was free 
from it. 
. In this valley all the competitors can be seen at once. Each 
can see daily the farms of the others, and observe improvements 
as soon as they are commenced. 
In going to this valley in 1876 we had to ascend a sharp hill ; 
after the ascent we reached a point from which the entire valley 
can be seen. To me, who had seen it several times before, it 
presented on this occasion an improved appearance which I 
cannot adequately describe. I saw it first in 1873. Since then 
the dwellings and offices have been improved ; more grass- 
seeds and roots have been raised, and the area of arable land 
has been increased. 
Knowing that Lord Bessborough, to whom this valley belongs, 
has been actively engaged in promoting improvements, it be- 
came necessary for me to inquire how far the Spencer prizes 
had aided his efforts. In prosecuting this inquiry every facility 
was given to me by his Lordship's under agent, Mr. Henry Nolan, 
of Garryhill. No man could know better than Mr. Nolan the 
improvements effected by Lord Bessborough himself, and he 
stated in the most emphatic manner that the Spencer prize sys- 
tem had aided powerfully not only in the valley of Coolasnaugh, 
but in the entire Garryhill district, in promoting among the 
people an increased taste for improvements. And it must be 
gratifying to Lord Spencer to find that Lord Bessborough takes 
the same view of it. The success of the system in this valley 
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