The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-26 00:00:00

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MAINUIS OF ABERCORN ON TilE

CONDITION OF IREL.4.VD.

• .
'Flu; .Lord-Lientenlnt, accompanied by the Mac-
chioneo Abercoru, th. Ladie.3 Hamilton, and

o:, Wolneschly ykited the show of catal and
agricultural implements, held on the premises of the

Royal Dublin 6)ciety, and male a minute inspec-
tion of all the departments. In the evening his

excellency presided at the meeting for the distribu-
tion of prizes to the successful competitors, and, in
acknowledging the vote of tlanki accorded to him,
made the folowing remarks lord and gentle-
men,--I rise, in the first place, to return thanks to
my noble friend (Lord Clancarty) for the very kind
manner in which he proposed the vote of thanks on
the occasion of my attending here to-night, and also
to yoU for the kind and cordial manner ,in which
you responded to that proposition. (Hear, hear.)
I assure you it is a matter of great satisfaction. to

me to preside for the first time in your society.
Perhaps the pleasure I feel is enhanced by being

able to take the bright side of the picture, .and by
being able to congratulate you upon the com-

plete success of your show and exhibition this
day. There were various reasons which seemed
to indicate that the spring meeting of the pre-

sent year might not be so favourable as in
former years. We have had a winter of unusual

severity; we have had nipping winds preventing
the ver-cluake of .your fields, and almost the vegeta-

tion. We have had still more a disturbed state of
the country, which for some months paralysed the
hand of the farmer, and has thrown uncertainty,

doubt, and distrust upon all employments and
avocations of peaceful and industrial life, (Hear,
hear, and applause.) While looking to these facts,
the successful result of your meeting to-day is a

subject of the highest satisfaction. It shows that
the prosperity and strength of agriculture here are
not built upon a flimsy or unsubstantial foundation,
or liable to be much affected by extraneous or for-
tuitous events, but that the fostering care of socie-
ties like this, and the increase of skill and intelli-
gence amongst all classes of farmers, have produced
their fruits in the certainty of remunerative. returns,
and the increased improvement in agricultural skill
and labour. Mr. Mansell has with much ability
described the show-yard to-day. I need go no
further than to say that, as usual, short-horns were
in preponderance. We all bow with proper sub-
mission to Mr. Challoner's Sovereign, which de-
serves at some future time to be the monarch of
herds. (Applause.) With regard to sheep the
entries have not been so numerous, but I believe they
have been exceedingly good, many of the animals
being of very high quality. In swine the entries were
more numerous. In short, the state of the show-yard
was most satisfactory. If we look further into
the matter, we -shall find that the evidence of the
past year fully bears oat the promise of the show-
yard to-day—the increasing improvement in the
prominent feature which eminently and specially
characterises your society as far as agriculture is
concerned, namely, the improvement and increase
of stock throughout the country. (Hear, hear.)
We find that in the three years since 1863 there has
been an increase of 600,000 in cattle, and the value
of these cattle must not be estimated by its nume-
rical increase, considering the value of cattle at the
present time. The increase in sheep approaches one
million, which must be also estimated upon an in-
creased value as compared with former years.
(Ilear, hear.) There is one point to which I look
with some anxiety, which is well worthy the cousi-

deration of those who are able to give a most coin
prehensive view of subjects of this nature. I meat
that while tittle have increasel in the last three
years 600,000, and sheep to the extent of one 'mil-
lion, the quantity of land under rotation of crops
has decreased by 450,009 acr, and the decrease of
green crops alone is upwards of 150,000 *acres, while
there has been very little increase in hay and
meadow lands. Therefore, there is some doubt
whether so large an increase of cattle and sheep,
without corresponding crops, is an unmixed bene-
fit. There is another subject that has not been
mentioned here to-night, but it is one to which the
society has devoted much care and attention—l
mean the culture of flax. (Hear.) As one connected
with a part of the country where it is very exten-
sively grown, and as I believe I have as largo a
number of flax-growing tenants as any one, I would
take the liberty of making a few observations on it.
I believe there can be no doubt that flax, as it is
cultivated in Ulster, is 'a most profitable crop for
the small farmer, and by the small farmer I mean
the man holding from 10 or 15 to 30 or 40 acres of
land. But while I assert that, I do not mean to
convey that it is not also a crop profitable to the
large farmer. There are special reasons why flax
should be a crop more profitable to the small than
to the large farmer ; and amongst others may be
mentioned the fact that the small farmer is able to
use the unpaid labour of his family in the preparation
lg. the crop for culture, and in all the processes of
steeping and drying in which the small farmer dis-
plays his skill and industry. The large farmer, how-
ever, .is not so circumstanced, for he has to use
paid labour—the ordinary hired labour, without
the existence of that esprit de corps which is to
be found among the members of the same
family who work and labour together for a co
mon object. (Mar, hear.) It is, therefore, pretty
clear that, though flax may be a profitable crop to
the large farmer, it is to the small farmer essentially
advantageous, and it is among the small farmers
you should NV ish to see it extended. (Hear, hear.)
I now come to the question whether it is possible to
introduce the culture of flax into the other three
provinces just as it has been cultivated in Ulster,
and I confess I have some doubts as to whether it is
practicable to introduce it to the same degree as in
Ulster. If you look to the physical features of
Ulster, you will find that it is, as a rule, a hilly
country, and very much intersected by small natural
streamlets, and therefore it is that it is so well
adapted for the cultivation and preparation of flax.
It is in consequence of this abundance of water iu
Ulster that the small- farmer can have his own
steeping place or flax-dam, and it is because of the
want of this abundance that you will find it diffi-
cult to get the small farmers of the other proviucef
to plant and cultivate flax to the same extent as
is done in Ulster. And concomitant with this is
the existence of scutching-mills, which are so essen-
tial to the preparation of flax for market, and which
exists in several parts of Ulster. There is another
subject in which I take a very deep interest, and
which this society has displayed considerable
concern. While we spare nothing that skill and
science, and money can avail iu the improvement of
our herds, and in the better cultivation of our fields,
we must not forget those to whom the care of the
cattle and the cultivation of the fields are intrusted
—I mean the agricultural labourer of the country.
(Hear, hear.) I confess that, as a large proprietor
in Ireland, I have long felt that the improvement
of the homes of the agricultural labourers is one that
must take a prominent part in the requirements of
the present day. (Hear, hear.) No doubt, the
'improvement of the farmers' homes would be ad-
vantageous, but the farmers are able, to a certain
degree, to take care of themselves ; and between
then the labourer, the adscriptus glebx, is apt to fall
through. (Rear, hear.) I believe the condition of
the labourer, as regards wages and diet, has been
ag
very much improved during the last 20 'years, bat
I do not think it has kept pace with the times, and
I very much fear that the old cabins of their
_fore-
fathers shelter many labourers of the present day.
(Hear, hear.) While we regret the ernigrationfwell
that
is taking so much of the bone and sinew.
on o
land to other countries, it will be a questi
h
worth the consideration of the society by what
means and how far a better and more improved
home would render the peasant comfortable and
contented, and reconciled to remain on his native
(Applause.) No one ku" 8 better than Ido