The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-01-06
qatltscellameutrs.
THE IRISH REVOLUTION.
Correspondence Cincinnati Commercially

however it numbers among its readers
many farmers and at presentin this time
of land leagues, the whole of America is
undoubtedly interested in the threatened
revolution in the agricultural system in
Ireland Agriculturists, like all other
manufacturers and traders learn to con-
slider the signs of the times, but at pres
ent all people of every calling in Amer,
lea, in Britain, and more or less through
Europe are observing the signs of the
agriculturalists times.
am sure that the American farmer is
seldom aware of the difficulties which
beset the agriculturalist here. In Amer
lea we often hear or read that the Scott
ish and English farmers pay very high
rents, seldom if ever owning the land,
and that the taxes are exhorbitant, but
am very sure we do not often realize
what it means. My work, since reachN
ing Britain, has led me through the
most of Scotland and already into many
of the agricultural districts of England,
and have availed myself of every OPP
portunity to become accurately informed
upon the subject. Through the kind
ness Of a leading Glasgow merchant who
spent over a year in America and who
has high and fair appreciation of the
States, spent some days at his country
residence near Stirling Castle, and by
him / was introduced to some Of the
most reliable farmers in the vicinity,
When l made known my object, he
readily consented to furnish me all the
information he could, but asked day
or two's time that he might look over his
books and papers and so make his state.
ments the more accurate, and when |
visited him three days later he was able
to give me the most exact details. The
farm which he has leased has two hun
dred and eighty acres and the lease is
for nineteen years. 1t was leased by his
father before him for many many years,
and as 1t is matter of great pride for
any renter to be able to say that his fam.
lily have been forty, eighty or one huns
dred and fifty years in possession of a
farm. Many of the loses are made for
twenty~one years and are generally re-
newable, thus giving the renter some
pride and interest in beautifying as we'll
as improving it. And this is one great
cause of complaint in Ireland. The
Irish renters are tenants at 7OiH they
have no permanent interest in the land.
My Scottish farmers two hundred and
eighty acres are hill land and very barr
rem. Some of It's not tllable and some
of it is in wood and brush. In such
cases the different parts of the farm are
rented at different fgurs according to the
value and fertility of the land but he
pays a kind of average rent of Il per
acre, or about fourteen hundred dollars
cash rent per annum. There is much
fine land about Sterling Castle in the
valley of the South, and itrents at twenty
and twenty-five dollars per acre per an
mum, and one small piece is actually
bringing thirty dollars per acre.
Near Loeb Lomond | found a farm of
500 acres divided into four farms, the
smallest and poorest consisting of S4
acres, for which the renter paid
5000 rent per annum, and the combined
four farms bring nearly So 900 yearly
The renters furnish everything, the land>
owners keeping up the outside fences
only.
They never think of putting in a crop
without fertilizers ; to do so would be to
insure failure. My Scottish farmer pays
yearly from $500 to $500 for manures
and fertilizers. And here the American
farmers have to learn an impotant
lesson. Farming, with them, too often
means impoverishing the land, and they
would do we'll to pattern from the Scot
ish care and economy This farmer
inds five horses necessary to do his
work, and besides himself and wife, he
employs four male and two female
lands. To what they call the first man
lie pays $I57 annually, furnishes him
| free house and garden, also gives him
'orty bushels of meal (oatl, half pint of
milk daily and ten bushels Of potatoes.
The first man is always one with a FAM
ly, when one can be secured, and is
thoroughly conversant with the business
Ind is able to take full charge of every.
hing in the absence of his employer
The second, third and fourth men, the
ast boy, receive respectively sos, $40
nd $50 per annum, and are boarded,
tut do their own washing. The two
women laborers receive respectively
100 and sos per annum, are boarded,
10 their own washing, but are furnished
and implements used in the
The farmer pays yearly 500
or blacksmithing, $40 for saddlery this
Expense being very light on account of
lis harness being all new, SIS for join,
RS work, 500 for extra laborers during
larvest, $40 for drains, tiles and fence
epairs. The landlord keeps in repair
he outside fences only, all the other ex
'ences being met by the renter. The
stat9 being somewhat in bad repair
Vhen he entered upon the lease, he was
allowed 81 800 for repairs, on condition
hat he added 500 of his own money;
nd hencefOrth the repairs of the houses
nd barns and also the construction of
my new buildings necessary for himself,
lis tenants or the crops, are all to be
lorne by himself, His specially ia the