32 
Irish AfjricuUure. 
up spontaneously in Ireland wherever the soil is of a kindly 
nature. 
Returning to the question of farm management on small 
holdings, it will be evident that the svstem which prevails in 
most parts of Ireland is not calculated to increase materially the 
production of live stock. It is an old saying that without green 
crops there can be no cattle ; and without cattle, no manure ; and 
without manure, no corn. The whole rests on green, or root 
crops ; and this foundation is wanting, generally speaking, in the 
routine of farm management in Ireland, whether on small or large 
occupations. There are, of course, numerous exceptions to the 
rule : but these are not sufficiently prevalent to affect the general 
principle. 
It w ill be seen, however, by referring to Table VII., p. 24, 
that live stock to the value of over seventeen and a half 
millions sterling is owned bv occupiers of farms not exceed- 
ing fifty acres. When the total amount is apportioned among 
the holders, according to their average acreage, it will be 
found that it represents a much larger value of stock per acre 
than belongs to all classes of occupiers holding over 50 acres. 
Of course, in the case of the occupiers under 50 acres, there 
is a certain proportion of the value of the stock credited to 
them which does not belong to those who are, strictlv speak- 
ing, landholders ; seeing that stock owners who do not hold 
land, such as dwellers in cities and towns, are included in the 
class of occupiers whose holdings do not exceed one acre in 
extent. 
Setting this aside, however, it becomes necessarv to inquire 
into the details of stock-rearing by the class of small farmers, 
and to see whether any material increase in the number and value 
of the live stock held by that class of occupiers is practicable. 
It is evident that they are alreadv producers of stock, in some 
shape or other, to a large extent. 
Upon analyzing the official returns, it will be seen that there 
are a million and a half milch cows in Ireland, and that of these 
over 900,000 belong to occupiers whose holdinss do not exceed 
50 acres in extent. From the same source, we learn tliat about 
421,000 calves are reared, being a little more than one calf for 
each two cows. The proportion of calves to cows varies in 
different counties, and is least in those districts where dairy 
farming is most prevalent. Some of the calves are fattened and 
sold as veal calves ; but in the majoritv of instances, especially 
among tlie small farmers, the milk required for vealing: a calf, or 
even rearing it, is grudjred, as so much subtracted from the material 
available for butter-making; and for that reason manv calves are 
