Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 13.djvu/243

 AGRICULTURE.] IRELAND 227 An approximation to a proper estimate of the deficiencies of the chief branch of Irish agriculture, the rearing of cattle, may be obtained by a computation founded on a comparison of its statistics with those of Great Britain. In 1880 the average number of cittle to every 100 acres nnder cultivation was 25 - 5, the average of England being 16-9, of Wales 23-7, of Scotland 23-2, and of Great Britain 18 4. Horses in the same year had an average in Ireland of 3 3, that of England being 4 4, of Wales 4-9, of Scotland 4 1, and of Great Britain 4 4. The average of sheep was for Ireland only 2 3 2, while for England it was 68 4, for Wales 98-2, for Scotland 149-3, and for Great Britain 82-9. Of pigs the average in Ireland was 5 -5, in England 6-9, in Wales 6 6, in Scotland 2 6, and in Great Britain 6 2. While in Great Britain, with a permanent pasturage of 14,426,959 acres, the num ber of cattle amounted to 5,912,046, in Ireland, with a per manent pasturage of 10,259,108 acres, they amounted to 3,921,026, the number of cattle in England to every 100 acres under grass being 41 0, while in Ireland it was 38 2. But in addition to this the pasturage of Great Britain sup ported 26,619,050 sheep, while that of Ireland supported only 3,561,361, or rather fewer sheep than cattle, and less than one-seventh of the number of sheep supported in Great Britain ; and if we regard six sheep as equal to one of the cattle, which is less than the estimated value, the number of cattle supported on every 100 acres in Great Britain would be 71 7, the number in Ireland being only 44 % 6. It would certainly not be exaggeration to estimate the cattle of Great Britain as on an average one-fourth better than those of Ireland, and if this be so it follows that compared with Ireland at least double the value of cattle and sheep are supported on the same amount of pasturage in Great Britain. (Thorn s Almanac gives the value of cattle, sheep, and pigs of Ireland in 1880 as 60,904,429, and those of Great Britain as 138,559,045, reckoning those of each country as individually of equal value.) In Great Britain, however, the combined area under rotation grasses and under green crops, excluding potatoes, is 7,360,060 acres, as against only 2,326,538 in Ireland, the area devoted chiefly to the rearing of cattle and sheep being in Great Britain 21,787,019 acres, while in Ireland it is only 12,585,646, the average, reckoning six sheep as equal to one of the cattle, being thus 47 5 animals to every 100 acres devoted to rearing them in Great Britain as against 35-9 in Ireland; or, reckoning the animals in Eng land as one-fourth better, the proportions are 59-3 to 35 9. If, moreover, it be remembered that in Ireland pasturage occupies nearly all the richer districts of the country, and that where tillage is carried on the first principles of scientific agriculture are generally unknown, we cannot be underestimating the food produce of Ireland in stating it as about two-fifths less for the acreage than that of Great Britain; and since 1847 there has, owing to the increase of pasturage, been a great decline in the production of TABLE XVIII. Number of Cattle, Sheep, and Pigs Exported from Ireland to the United Kingdom. 1790. 1800. 1810. 1826. 1847. 1857. 1874. Average L876-1880 1880. Oxen... Sheep. . Pigs.... 19,309 5,036 14,015 871 4,083 19,370 10.203 9,830 57,39, 62,81! 73,915 190.952 324J79 157,807 186,234 151,807 136,162 551,209 744,2:)4 344,335 681,083 673,290 493,178 717,171 711,491 307,126 TABLE XIX. Imports of Foreign Grain and Meal into Ireland. Cwts. Cwts. Cwts. 1865 1870 1871 1872 9,363,516 13,761,931 14,356,996 18,803,251 1873 1874 ! 1875 1876 15,737,171 14,437,013 17,521,860 24,123,560 1877 1878 1879 1880 18,562,107 23,502,383 23,913,907 17,876,338 food. From the inadequacy of the information given by the Board of Trade it cannot be determined with accuracy to what extent Ireland is dependent on other countries for supplies of corn and meal. From special parliamentary returns we learn that the total foreign imports of grain in 1850 were 1,683,687 qrs., and of meal and flour 220,107 cwts., and that the exports to Great Britain from Ireland exceeded the imports from it in the case of grain by 242,287 qrs., and of flour by 708,008 cwts. In 1855 the exports of corn and meal to Great Britain exceeded the imports from Great Britain and foreign countries together by 451,627 qrs. In the yearly returns of imports of foreign corn and meal into the United Kingdom no separate column is given for Ireland; and, in addition to this, since 1867 no return has been given of the trade in corn and meal between Ireland and Great Britain. Weekly returns of the imports of foreign grain into Ireland are, however, published in the London Gazette, and Table XIX., founded on a special parliamentary return and on the Gazette returns, gives the total amount of foreign imports of grain and meal in 1865, and in each year from 1870. Notwithstanding that much of the land now under pas turage is well adapted for turnips or mangolds, the amount of green crop grown is generally quite insufficient for scientific cattle-rearing. In many cases also the grass is laid down after the soil has been exhausted by over-crop ping, and little pains generally are taken to improve the soil by draining or manures. The increase in pastoral farming has indeed been largely due to the desire to save trouble, one of the principal difficulties of the large farmer being to obtain, notwithstanding a low general average of wages, the worth of his expenditure in hired labour. The indolent habits of the peasantry, due to long ill fortune, constitute also a principal obstacle to the introduction of spade culture, which has been advocated as well suited for the climate and soil of Ireland, and as affording employment to the largest possible agricultural population. As it is, the small farmer, living in a wretched hovel which he shares with a considerable proportion of his live stock, is able, on account of the fewness and simplicity of his wants, to succeed, though making use of very primitive methods of culture, where the larger farmer wholly dependent on hired labour would fail if he attempted a system of tillage even according to the most approved methods. For the promotion of the agricultural progress of the country grants of various kinds are bestowed by Govern ment. Since 1847 an Act for granting land improvement loans has been in operation, and since the passing of the Act up to the 31st March 1881 the total number of loans issued has been 7328, amounting to 3,278,762, the applications for the year 1880-81 being 638, amounting to 161,575. The quantity of land drained since the commencement in 1847 until the 31st March 1881, has been 274,827 acres, at an average cost of 7 per acre. The number of loans for farm buildings sanctioned since the passing of the Act 13 & 14 Viet., c. 31, until the 31st March 1881, has been 1528, amounting to 771,360, the number of loans sanctioned during the year ending 31st March 1881 being 133, amounting to 53,670. Under 23 Viet., c. 19, the number of loans sanctioned for dwellings for agricultural labourers has been 462, amount ing to 263,465, the cases for the year up to 31st March 1881 being 16, amounting to 11,155. The whole expen diture charged against the different undertakings commenced under the Arterial Drainage Acts (prior to 1863), including 70,201 for rent chargeable to counties, amounted at the close of the operations to 2,390,612, 12s. 4d., of which 2,249,540 was advanced on loan, and 141,073 by way of free grant, and the repayments in respect thereof, including interest, amounted on 31st of March 1881 to