Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 13.djvu/240

224 IRELAND [AGRICULTJItE. agriculture has the stimulus both of tenant-right and of manufactures. In Ulster the average produce per acre is now equal to the average of Ireland, although in 1642 it was rated to the " adventurers " as worth only 4s. an acre, while land in Leinster was rated at 12s., in Munster at 9s., and in Connaught at 6s. The southern and western dis tricts of the country lag farthest behind, and generally proxi mity to Great Britain seems to exercise an advantageous influence. Griffith s valuation, apart from other objections, , of course supplies no test as to the agricultural value of the land at the present time, and has the disadvantage that the southern and western districts were valued imme diately after the famine. By it the total annual value of Ireland was given as 11,439,575, that of Ulster being 2,533,265, of Munster 3,247,177, of Leinster 4,305,413, and Connaught 1,353,720. An increase in the average produce of wheat per acre might naturally be expected from the fact that its area is now restricted to those districts where soil and climate are specially suitable. The decline in the area under wheat between 1847 and 1880 has been 595,235 acres, or more than four-fifths. It has been specially large in Leinster and Munster, but the fact that it has also been considerable in Ulster and Connaught shows that it must be attributed to other causes besides a real or supposed unsuitability of climate. In 1878 the amount of wheat produce was less by 499,191 tons than in 1847, and in 1880 it was less by 503,190 tons. The decrease in the acreage under oats has not been proportionally so great; but, inasmuch as oats are the staple crop of the country, it is perhaps even more significant. Between 1847 and 1880 the decrease in area was 818,927 acres ; and the decline in amount of produce in 1878 as compared with 1847 was 705,689 tons, and in 1880 it was 634,998 tons. The decrease in the acreage under cereals has by some been accounted for by an increase in that under potatoes, but although between 1851 and 1861 this increased by 265,003 acres, it has since gradually diminished, being 47,773 less in 1880 than in 1851. The increased productiveness of the potato in 1880 is attributed both to the favourable season and the . importation of new varieties, especially the " Champion." The report of the special potato inquiry of 1880 shows that " Champions " were grown on 220,934 acres, "White Rocks" on 194,778, "Skerry Blues" on 116,959, and "Scotch Downs" on 98,342. Between 1851 and 1880 there has been a diminution in the total area under green crops of 125,247 acres. It is certainly remarkable that, while the number of cattle has so largely increased, not only the area but until recent years the average produce per acre of turnips and mangolds, the staple winter food of cattle, has been diminishing. The aggregate produce of turnips was less by 1,395,100 tons in 1878 than in 1851, in 1879 by 4,023,522 tons, and in 1880 by 1,741,638. The nature of the increase which has taken place in live stock since 1841 is brought out in Tables XIV.-XVII. The returns for 1851 give no information as to the number of horses used for agricultural purposes, but Table XV. supplies this information for 1861, 1871, 1879, and 1880. Table XVI. gives the total value of each kind of live stock for 1841, 1851, and 1871 on hold ings above one acre, and the average value of the same on each holding, the valuation given agreeing with the rate originally fixed by the commissioners, according to which horses were estimated at 8 each, asses at 1, cattle 6, 10s., sheep 1, 2s., pigs 1, 5s., goats 7s., and poultry 6d. The value of all classes of live stock has of course greatly increased within recent years, but although TABLE XIII. Estimated Average Produce per Statute Acre in 1S47, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1878, andl880, and also for certain periods of years. Wheat. Oats. Barley. Bere Rye. Beans. Pease. ^otatoes Turnips. Mangel. Cabbage Flax. Kay. f!847 1851 T . 1861 Leinste p -{ no ~i cwts. 17-3 12-0 8-8 cwts. 15-2 15-1 11-4 cwts. 1S 2 17-6 13-2 cwts. 17-8 17-4 13 2 cwts. 22-0 20-5 12-8 cwls. 14 12-9 117 cwts. 4 11-9 11-8 tons. 7 4 5-3 1-9 tons. 15-1 16-5 11-9 tons. 19-0 17-9 10-5 tons. 14 101 stones. 48-0 38-5 24-9 tons. 1-9 21 1-7 | 1871 1 1878 ,1880 ( 1847 1851 Munster.... ... }^} 11 8 16-0 15-3 15-0 11-8 8-0 137 14-1 15-1 147 137 10-0 15 3 16-2 15-4 17-0 17-4 10-8 15 - 5 18-2 15-4 16-6 14-6 11-4 121 16-1 13-5 18-5 21-0 8-5 18 - 3 19-0 20-3 13 13-9 8-0 17 9-4 17-5 8 11-2 9-1 2 8 3-1 40 6-9 51 T4 141 15-2 157 15-4 15-5 8 2 13 6 15 8 14-9 17-3 17-6 8 8 10 4 10-3 10-0 137 8-5 27 4 31-5 281 48 35-5 19-3 1 7 2-2 1-9 2-0 2-0 1-8 I | 18/1 1878 US80 (1847 1851 Ulster.... ..JJSSJ 12 3 137 15-1 17-0 14-5 12 13 8 12-2 15-6 14-5 13-0 11-9 15 4 15-2 17-3 16 8 17-6 13-0. 13 16-9 15-3 17-0 15-8 12-4 lO O 12-3 10-6 20-5 19-5 11-8 15 9 11-1 17-4 14 14-4 15-5 137 107 13-5 2 11-8 8-3 31 1-9 4-2 7-4 4-6 1-9 12 12-8 137 16-5 15-6 11-1 13 4 147 147 177 19-6 11-9 9 3 8-9 8-9 141 11-5 2-i 8 27-3 31-8 48 38-6 24-5 1 9 2 3 2-0 1-9 1-9 2-0 | 1871 | 1878 U8SO (1847 I 1851 Connaudit.... 127 15-9 15-0 16 12-0 6-8 117 13-5 13-4 14-2 137 11-0 13 1 17-3 16-1 18-4 18-2 12-2 12 3 16-5 13-9 17-2 16-8 10-6 iro 15-0 10-3 20-5 19-8 9-8 20 2 16-3 20-5 1 13-0 11-2 13 9-5 12-9 6 11-2 5-1 2 2 3-6 3-8 7-5 5 5 1-3 131 14-6 14-0 14-5 16-0 9-1 13 9 15 2 14-2 16 3 177 11-2 9 3 9-8 9-6 13-6 127 12 5 31-8 25-9 48-0 40-7 241 1 9 2-2 1-9 1-9 2-0 1-8 o "" | 1871 1878 usso (1847 1851 Ireland 10 6 15-9 12-1 16-5 12-5 9-0 12 6 14-0 131 147 13-8 11-2 14 6 18-0 14-2 17-4 17-6 12-4 13 3 14-9 12-5 17-2 16-6 12-8 10 8 137 9-3 20-5 20-0 10-8 13 4 12-4 13-8 14 13-9 13-0 9 9 15-5 10-2 2 11-6 9-4 2 8 3-0 2 4 7-2 51 1-6 12 - 13-6 12-3 15-5 15-9 10-2 13 "5 14-6 13-0 is-o 18-0 10-3 1T6 13-4 12-2 13-9 10-4 187 27-2 23-1 48 38-6 24-4 1 9 2-3 21 1-9 2-0 1-8 18/1 1878 USSO 12-1 15-0 15-0 127 13-5 14 2 15-2 16-1 15-8 14-5 16-9 147 10-8 14-1 10-3 18 8 17-4 20-3 14-1 9-8 13-5 2 6 3-0 36 13 14-2 14-3 13 5 15-2 14-6 lO O 10 2 9 9 13 2 31-7 25-9 1*8 2 3 2 Ireland, average for five years 1851-55 14-0 14 2 isi 16 5 20-0 14-2 12-5 5 5 161 17-8 13-7 39-3 2-0 ,, ,, ,, 1856-60 12-3 12-4 147 14-9 12-6 14-6 11-6 3-8 11-5 12-2 10-6 27-5 1-9 ,, ,, ten years 1861-70 11-8 12-0 15-1 15-0 10-3 15-9 11-1 3 2 111 11-2 107 25-4 1-8 1S71-80 13-9 13-1 16-0 15 6 11-5 17-8 11-3 3-0 12-5 13-5 9-9 26-6 2-0