The following table gives the number of hold ings by provinces, grouped into nine different classes (1900) : gions. In the tenant fared somewhat better: for there custom had long recognized a sort of tenant right, which operated to restrict Compared with 1881. there has been a decided increase in the holdings of less than one acre (20.852), and an increase in all groups of 50 acres and up as follows: Farms in the group 30 to 50 acre, increased in number 1664; 50 to 100 acres, te73; 100 to 200 acres, 337; 200 to 500 acres, IS; and the number in the group above 5410 increased 109. The three remaining groups decreased as follows: The 1 to 5 acre group de (reascl 4917 in number; the group 5 to 15 acres, 9264; and the group 30 to 50 decreased 2263.
With regard to the change from tillage to The number of mulch cow, decreased both rela ti(ely and absolutely during this period, the II-andel- in Itail being 1,482.433. or 31.7 per (ant. of the total number of cattle. In the last ;.cars of the nineteenth century, however, the number of mulch cow- showed a tendency to in •rease. The short-horned variety of cattle pre dominates. The following table show, the nun. er of the different varieties of domestie animals for the years 1881 and 1900: pasturage since the famine, the decrease was greatest for cereals. This acreage was 2,332,564 in 1355, and only 1.317,574 in 1901. The de crease in the root crops wag also large, the total acreage being 1,444.390 in 1355. against 1,079, 443 in 1901. The meadow crops increased dur ing the same period from 1.314.307 to 2,178.592 acres. The following table shows in more tail the change, which took place in the period 1855 to 1901: A peculiarity of stock-raising in Ireland. espe
cially cattle-raising. is that a large proportion of the animals marketed each year is not pre. pared for the market in Ireland. but i, shipped to Great Britain for that purpose. Ireland is not excelled in the production of the grade of horses of the hunter type. this type being raised mainly in the country south of the Boyne River. Heavy eart-hor-es are raised principally along the eastern seaboard from Wexford to London It will be seen that the largest actual decrease was shown by oats, but the largest per cent. decrease in wheat, the growing of the latter crop having become altogether unimportant. The continued deerea-e in the cereal crop- in the last third of the nineteenth century is attributed to the fall in price of those commodities resulting from foreign competition. together with the su perior adaptability of Irish soil for pasturage. Cereal production is carried on in all the prey inees. lint oats are most important in Ulster, and the raising of barley is largely centred in Lein ster. Potatoes still constitute the most impor tant food staple grown in Ireland: the average nereaee. however, has fallen off nearly one-third since 1850.
In 1901 the area under crops. including clover, stinfoiu. and grasses for hay. amounted to 3.069.789 acres. the area under grass, including temporary pasture and hay mown on perma nent pasture. 12.133.500 acres; under small fruit and fallow. 10.836 acres; under woods and plantations. 309.741 acres; under bog waste, barren mountain, water, and marsh, 4.801.42S acres.