Irisli Agriculture. 71 
» 
siderable amount of money. Indeed, instances are not wanting of 
herdsmen saving enough to buy the interest of large grazing farms, 
as well as to stock them, and eventually dying wealthy men. 
With regard to the return from fattening cattle on grazing 
farms in Meath, it is expected that each head should j)ay 11. for 
the summer's grass. Estimating the value of beef at l)5s. per 
cwt., this shows an increase of about 2^ cwt. per Irish acre. 
This, I believe, is about 8 " score " to the imperial acre, which, 
although 3^ score above the highest produce in Norfolk,* is 
below what Mr. Mechi tells us he makes off his farm, as he says, 
" I seldom make less than 10 to 13 scores of meat over the whole 
farm." Where more land than an Irish acre is required to fatten 
an animal, the return is of course less, and in some cases it will 
not exceed half the amount, per acre, as stated above. Seventy 
years ago, according to Mr. Thompson, heifers were expected to 
pay 10a-. and bullocks 15s. per month for feeding. 
The improvements chiefly required in these grazing districts, 
merely considered as such, are an extended system of thorough 
draining, including sinking and straightening the courses of 
streams which run through the lands; next, additional means 
of shelter ; the use of artificial food as auxiliary to grass at 
certain seasons ; and more attention to the watering-places where 
the cattle drink. 
On the first point, that of thorough draining, I have already 
offered some observations. With reference to the second, namely, 
shelter, I would remark that out-lying cattle are chiefly dependent 
for shelter on hedges which are allowed to run up without being 
cropped. In this way the hedges frequently become thin in the 
bottom, and do not afford as much shelter as is often supposed. 
Plantations, having curved outlines, form an obvious mode of 
giving shelter to stock ; and while many grazing districts in 
Ireland are quite destitute of plantations, other parts of the 
country which appear at a distance to be well wooded will be 
found deficient; the wooded appearance arising chiefly from trees 
growing in the fences. 
It is not necessary that there should be any great expense in- 
curred in providing shelter for out-lying stock. A simple wooden 
shed, having the floor paved, and furnished with a rack to contain 
hay, and troughs underneath, in the event of artificial food being 
given, is all that is required. A shed of this kind would prevent 
hay from being wasted, as it is when thrown down on the ground ; 
and while useful during winter, it would be not less so in the 
heat of summer, a time of the year when cattle stand much in 
need of shelter, to allow them to rest in quiet. By giving some 
* Sl'c ' Joiirmi! of the TiDyal Agrifultiind Society,' vol. ix. \). 6ti6. 
