The daily gazette., 1881-02-16
FAnMs AND FARMINe N IRELAND.

FARMS AND FARMING IN IRELAND.
Leonard Courtney, member Of
Parliament, gives some facts in the
international Review for March, on
farms and farming in Ireland, that
may be of interest as showing more
fully and correctly the situation of af-
fairs in that much disturbed and un-
happy part of the British Empire
There are, he says, within the Island
something like $4,000 separate occu-
piers of land. With few exceptions
these will all be heads of families;
most IF them will be married men
with wives and children about them.
1t may be estimated that the numbers
of the people directly dependent upon
the occupation of land will not be less
than 1850, 900, and may possibly be
as high as 5000, 1000. The total popu-
lation of Ireland in 1871 was a little
over 8, 400, 900, from which it continu-
ously declined till 1857, " hen it was
100000; since which, owing 10 the
cessation of emigration, it has increa-
sed again and is now estimated at 81
100000. We may fairly say that one
half or the population of Ireland are
dependent upon the agricultural oc-
cupatiou of land; but we must add
some more facts illustrative of the
present situation. Out of the $50, ,00o
occupers of land, very nearly $4,000
have holdings not exceeding one acre;
nearly 10000 have holdings over one
acre but not exceeding FIVE acres;
14e 600 more have holdinge between
five aud fifteen acres; and 1913, 900 have
holdings exceeding fifteen but not ex--
ceeding thirty acres. The result is
that nearly $4,000 occupiers out of
the total of $50, 900 do not hold as
many as thirty acres of land.
Once more, If We turn TO Connaught
alone where the land is for the most part
wretchedly poor, and the population per
household exceed five and half al the
last census, We find that out Of llS,0O0
occupiels of land 4, 500 had holdings Ho,
exceeding an acre, 10, $40 not exceeding
five acres, 45, 400 Of the,ne grade not
over fifteen acres, aud nearly $4,000 in
the next not over thirty acres,-or no
less than 81, 5Sl out Of the total Of 49,
OO0 with holdings not over thirty acres,
while 6J, 700 did not 60 beyond fifteen
acres. In connection with these figures
of the small holdings in Ireland, and
especia ly in the westernmost province,
let me quote the language of Mr.. Tuke,
a most worthy member OF the Society of
Friends, who, having visited Ireland as
all almoner If that Society in 1877, re-
visited IL this last spring on similar
mission. lie wrote in May
at is of the utmost Importance to rea-
lie the fact that farms under ten, ,Alteen
or twenty acres of land, according 10 its
qualify, are too small to support a fam
ily, / matters not whether a man has
tiXily Of tenure, or being peasant pro-
prietor has no rent to pay he cannot I'M
less be has some other sources ofiucome
live and bring up a family on the small
farms under tel or fifteen acres OF land
which form 50 large portion Of the hold
ings in the west Of Ireland"
We thus arrive at one of the first facts
to be noted, that there exists in ireland
very large uuhDeF OF OCCuplrls OF
land iu the possession of holdings which
are too small TO afford them and their
families living without help from other
resources. This appears to be pre-
emiuently true If Connaught, but ALI
analysis OF official figures would show
that 1t is true, in nearly tue same degree
II the west OF Ulster, and of large part
Of The southern province of Munster.
The evil is indeed gradual,in late years
a too gradual, course Of abatement. In
le4l, before the famine, the deaths that
accompanied it and the exod that fol-
owed, there weIt in Connaught, where
here are to-day about $4,000 holdings
Of between one and tive acres, more
than 100000 Of this dImisutiye ehaFsc-
ler, or about seven times as many as
there are now.n