Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-11-07
FARMING REVIVAL
URGED IN IRELAND
Demand For Food Used as Ar
gument For Greater Till
age in Coming Year

In the middle of the nine.
teenth century Ireland had about
100000 acres under corn, root
crops and fax. AS industrial
workers multiplied in Great Britain
the demand for Irish butter and
meat became daily more pressing,
and in ireland the tendency set in
of converting ploughed land in
pasture. This change of policy was
advocated in many quarters. 1t was
officially announced by the viceroy
of ireland that that country was
destined by nature to be the fruitful
mother of f1ocks and herds. The
production of butter, beef and store
cattle requires less strenuous work
on the part of the farming COM
munity than the production of
bread. Human nature inclines to
follow the line of least resistance.
Fashion when set by the aristocratic
neighbor exercises an influence even
in agriculture.
These and other causes operated
In contracting the area of titled
land and extending the area of pas
ture, so that in 1914 the 100000
acres of titled land of half a century
earlier had fallen to two and third
million acres. The decline of crops
in ireland. which had no develop
ment of industrial work, reached a
higher proportion than the similar
decline in Great Britain with it's
huge expansion of industries and
CONNIE cree.
In both islands the rural areas
were, to a great degree, demanded
Of their populations. In Great
Britain the people flocked into the
towns where they have multiplied
rapidly and have given rise to many
social and economic problems. From
ireland the people crossed the seas
to the British colonies and princi-
pally to the United States, where
they, too, have multiplied nightly,
and it may be said without trench
ing on politics, have to n degree
hard to realize, extended and
strengthened the ramifications of
the centuries-old Irish problem.
War Forced More Farming
At the outbreak of the war in
August, 1914, immediate steps
were taken in ireland to increase
the food supply. The Department
of Agriculture summoned for the
20th of that month n meeting of
the council of agriculture, which
consists of 103 members from all the
counties of ireland and is q veri-
table agricultural parliament. After
long and interesting debate a reso-
luton was unanimously adopted
containing these words:
1--WE impress upon the occupiers
of land their duty, in the national
interest as we'll as their own, to
prepare for a largely increased area
rNf 10 toll in Al
potatoes necessary for the food of
our people"
The meeting was fully reported
by the press and it's lessons en-
forced and driven home. The mat
ter was followed up at the meetings
of the committees of agriculture in
the different counties. The officials
of the departm carried on an Or
ganized and persistent propaganda.
Later on the vice president, ]. w.
Russell, delivered at public meetings
q series of stirring addresses and
was aided by many local speakers.
The mind of the farming COM
munity was thoroughly aroused with
the satisfactory result that the two
and one-third million acres of titled
crops of 1914 became three and one
fourth million acres in 1918. The
exact addition was Oil, ,743 acres, or
40 per cent. This achievement was
effected by persuasion, the induce
ment of high prices, and in the
background the dim figure of COM
pulsion under the defense of the
realm act and the corn production
act.
Thus during the war n consider
able area of pasture was plowed and
put under arale cultivation, and it
is pleasant to be able to record that
the number of cattle and sheep were
we'll maintained and did not fall be-
low the averages for the decade be-
fore 1914. 1t is an adage that pigs
and poultry follow the plow. 1t is
also we'll known fact that an ex-
tension of tillage, when properly
directed, leads to an expansion of
the numbers of cattle that can be
kept for milk and meat purposes.
But before that economy can attain
its free and full play the sudden
breaking up of pasture tends to re-
duce the number of livestock.