The Prize System as applied to Small Farmers in Ireland. '125 
clover, which Mr. Jordan finds hotter for "soiling" than either 
rye-grass or clover alone. His potatoes are very free from disease, 
and are the produce of seedlings raised hy himself. The garden is 
divided into six squares, and is managed with great skill. All 
the ordinary vegetables are raised. There are several fruit-trees, 
and a plot at the hack of the house is devoted to flowers. A 
large quantity of vegetables is sold. The return from the garden 
is fully 10/. a year. 
The farm is now capable of carrying more stock than when I 
first saw it. At present there are 4 cows, 2 year-and-a-half old 
heifers, 2 weanlings, 4 pigs, 75 poultry, and 1 donkey. 
I ffive an estimate of the return from the farm in 1876 : — 
Dairy produce :— £. s. d. 
Butter sold 22 8 6 
Value of milk and butter consumed by family .. 10 0 0 
Value of weanlings reared 9 00 
1 calf sold 050 
1 heifer sold 5 0 0 
1 cow, whose place in the dairy has been supplied 
by one of last year's heifers 12 0 0 
Notwithstanding these sales, the value of the stock on 
hand at the close of the year was rather more than it 
■was at the beginning. 
Oats (deducting seed), 25j barrels, at 12s 15 (5 0 
Return from 4 pigs : — 
Actual receipts 17?. 0s. Od. 
Cost of pigs 4:1. 4s. Od ] 
2 cwt. Indian meal each, > 51. 0s. Od. 
= 2cwt.,at8s 01. 16s. Od.) 12 0 0 
Potatoes, close on 3 statute acres, for use by the family 
or for sale, 12 tons, at 31. 10s. per ton 42 0 0 
Eggs and poultry, a low estimate 10 0 0 
Garden, a very low estimate 8 0 0 
145 19 6 
If from the gross return we deduct rent and taxes, cost of seeds, 
and other necessary articles, the balance represents what was 
available for the wants of the family. Every practical man will 
admit that the case has been understated ; yet there would remain 
a net income of about 120/. a year to recoup Jordan and his 
brother for their labour and skill ; and this result has been achieved 
on a small farm, two-thirds of which have been reclaimed from 
a state of absolute sterility, by a very unpretending man in a 
remote part of Connaught. The improvements on Jordan's house 
and offices have kept pace with the improvement of his land. 
The next place on the prize sheet is assigned to Charles 
Sampey, who holds about 9 statute acres of arable land, and a 
piece of turf-bog from Lord De Freyne, at a rent of 3/., which 
may be assumed to have been the fair letting value of the land 
2 G 2 
