Bridlington and Quay Gazette. — 1884-05-10 (Bridlington, Humberside, England)

IRISH WASTE LANDS.  The Registrar-General for Ireland (Dr. Grimshaw), at a meeting of the Dublin Statistical Society has read an important paper on the "The Statistics of Waste Lands in Ireland," in which he furnishes a table which he says shows that, as far front the waste land of Ireland being on the increase, an immense amount of waste land bad been reclaimed during the past 40 years. In 1841 the " barren mountain land bog and marsh waste, /cc.," amounted to 6,381,171 acres, while in 1881 that was only 4,722,251 acres. He adds that while in the find three decennial periods there was a decrease of waste lands, there was between 1871 and 1881 an apparent increase of 418,210 acres. A more detailed examination, however, will show, "that up to the year 1876 the statistics show a general decrease of waste lands, with slight variations from year to year, sometimes showing a slight increase. From the year 1876 up to the present year the returns apparently point to a steady increase of waste land, and from this apparent fact the lamentable conclusion has been arrived at that Ireland is steadily going back to bog and waste. The real facts of the case are these In the earlier days of the collection of agricultural statistics it was thought unnecessary to go into too minute details; and thus if a grazing farm on a mountain side had a strip of barren mountain land at the top and a little bit of marsh at its lowest level, the whole area would probably put as grass. No doubt nearly all was grass, but the stony part and the marshy part were practically useless, and therefore the area of such a farm should have been divided among all these elements, and only the usuable grass included as pasture. For some years prior to 1876 greater care was enjoined on the enumerators, Lend not actually used for grazing or other purposes was, unless of good quality, classed as waste. In 1877, in accordance with the increased accuracy demanded by advancing knowledge, a still further detail was insisted on, and the enumerators were required to ascertain as nearly as possible the amount of land available for use, anyhow it was employed, and also how much bog and marsh, barren mountain, Sc., was actually on each farm. It has been this picking out of little scraps of waste of all kinds that has during the past few years apparently so much diminished the land in use in Ireland." •Dr. Grimshaw uttered • word of warning to those who are enthusiastic," concerning the reclamation of wastelands. He says "That it is not to be assumed that the four and three-quarter million acres of waste lands of Ireland are to any considerable extent capable of being converted into valuable land. No doubt much can be improved, but a large quantity, probably amounting to upwards of 2,000,000 acres, is barren mountain scarcely of any value. He believes that much more can be done by improved cultivation than by reclamation, and he adds that he has no belief in the doctine that farming in Ireland is ruined trade, and that consequently Ireland is a ruined country.  A six days' pedestrian Mar at New York lass resulted in Fitzgerald, an Irishman, making the best record known-610 miles. Ftowell made 602 mile*.  Mr. Henry George, late city treasurer, Worcester, has been arrested, charged with embezzling between £4,000 and .£5,000 belonging to the corporation.  _ It is stated that a plot against the Czar's life hag just been discovered at Moscow, and that the festivities in honour of the coming of age of the Czarevich will take place in St. Petersburg. Superintendent Sykes, chief clerk at the West Riding Constabulary Office, Wakefield, has committed suicide by shooting himself through the head. Mental depression is believed to have keen the Caine.  1  ii