218 
Reclamation of Bog and Moorland in Galway. 
exertions have received a great impetus from the example set 
them by their landlord. Mr. Blake, the original owner of the 
property, settled upon Dowrosmore the pauper-tenants from 
other townships who remained after the famine. Creggaun, 
Cross, Shanaveag, and five-sixths of the township of Curre- 
wongaun, are in the hands of tenants, and improvements are 
carried out by them chiefly by manual labour. 
Recent legislation has done much to encourage reclamation 
by tenants, by giving them security that they shall reap the full 
benefit of their labour. They no longer fear to improve their 
houses or their land, and the effect of this is already well marked 
in most parts of Ireland.* 
Mr, Henry is of opinion that the landlords are already bene- 
fited by a rise in the market-value of their land. He thinks 
that the small tenants (under 10/.) should have leases for twenty 
years, renewable at their option, the rent to be adjusted by 
valuation for each lease. This would virtually amount to fixity 
of tenure. The spirit of improvement is of very gradual growth, 
but may be encouraged : with this object lime has been given to 
the most enterprising of the tenants. A few grass and turnip- 
seeds given to one man excited jealousy among his neighbours, 
and now several of them vary their cropping, instead of con- 
fining themselves to growing potatoes, with an occasional crop 
of oats. At present they are not ready to receive any benefit 
that would involve an increase in their rent, however small. 
A part of Currewangaun is kept in hand, and 25 acres have 
been improved : comprising 8 acres of barley seeded, 5 acres 
oats, 4 acres grass, and 8 acres drained, but not yet cropped. 
The crop of barley proved a poor one in 1877 ; being short in 
straw and light in grain, the whole will be cut into chaff and 
steamed for the fatting beasts. 
At Mullaghglass improvements have been made both by 
tenants and landlord. The best land lies along the coast, from 
100 to 200 feet above the sea; the eastern portion of it is let 
with the houses upon it to twenty-seven tenants, paying a total 
* In connection with this subject, the following returns of the number of persons 
who emigrated from all Ireland during the years 1867 to 1876 will be of interest : — 
1872 . . . 
78,102 
1868 
61,018 
1873 
90,149 
1869 
66,508 
1874 .. , 
73,182 
1870 .. 
. .. 74,855 
1875 
51,462 
1871 .. 
. .. 71,240 
1876 .. . 
. .. 38,315 
During the fiist six months of 1877, 18,945 persons emigrated, while the number 
for the corresponding period of 1876 was 20,004. This shows that, from whatever 
cause, tliere is a very obvious turn in the tide of Irish emigration. 
