STOCK-RAISING. The increased importance of stock-raising in the last half of the nineteenth century is shown from the fact that the number of cnt'le per 1000 acres of the total area in ereased from 143 in 1S51 to 230 in 1901. while the number of sheep per 1000 acres increased from 102 to 215. and the number of hogs in creased from 52 to 60 during the same period. The large number of cattle is particularly notes worthy, there being in Ireland more head, area for area, than in any other European country.
(terry. 011 the western seaboard. (speeially in Galway and Mayo. ponie, are the predominating breed. The raising of horses for general purposes i- more widely distributed. with Ulster in the lead. It will be seen from the above table that the rapidly growing pcultry industry ha, at, thine(' large proportions. A significant develop ment latterly has been the growth in agricultural cooperation. There was one coOperative society in 1390; in 1901 there were 137 dairy and agri cultural societies with Si auxiliaries; 106 agri cultural ; 102 coOperative banks; 29 poultry societies; 46 miscellaneous societies: and 2 federations—making a total of 553 societies, having an aggregate membership of 51,000. Ulster lead- in the movement; Leinster falls • furthest Behind.
The manufacturing indus tries are of comparatively little importance. The adverse conditions imposed upon them in former centuries by the British Government hampered their development, and the absence of local coal resources and the general non-prosperous condi tion of the social life of the country have lim ited its development in recent years. The history of the manufacturing industries, however. is a record of long and desperately continued strug ele. and is not without its periods of success. in scope the industries have been largely confined to the textile--wool. linen, and silk. Prior to the time of Charles IT. manufactures of Irish woolens were well known in many colonial and foreign markets. But the navigation acts in the reigns of Charles I. and II. cut Ireland off from the British market, while those of William severed Ireland from all foreign markets. The country could only export woolens to the Eng lish markets under heavy duty, thus limiting it practically to the local home market. When the
American Colonies revolted, the,c restrictions were removed. But by this time the industry had secured so great a lead in England that with the additional advantage given to the latter country through the abundance of coal which now began to supply power for the industry, Ire land was not able to regain its former promi nence. The best known of the Irish woolens are the tweeds. They are noted for their durability. In 1899 there were 3323 persons employed in the manufacture of woolen, worsted, and shoddy goods.
The manufacture of linen by the Irish was not at first so detrimental to English interest, as was the manufacture of woolens, and it fared touch better at the hands of the Government. In deed, for a period, the linen industry became prominent as the woolen industry decreased. The Lord Deputy Strafford and hi, successor, Or mond, did all within their power to encourage the industry, as did both the Irish and the Eng lish Parliaments—the latter allowing the prod ucts to enter England free of duty. The superior methods of manufacture in vogue in France and the Netherlands were studied, and attempts were made to induce skilled workmen from these coun tries to migrate to Ireland. With these and other advantages, the industry increased. but only at last to excite the ill will of England, which closed its markets to many varieties of the Irish products, and thus seriously hampered the in dustry in spite of the generous aid it continued to receive from the Irish Government. The 'wet spinning' process of linen manufacture was in troduced between 1825 and 1830. and the factory system grew rapidly. The extreme moisture in the atmosphere gives to Irish linen that delicate whiteness which is unobtainable in any other country. The number of spindles used in its manufacture increased from 396.33S' in 1950 to S26.743 in 1879. since which time they have not greatly increased, having been 8:35.100 in 1900. The power-looms, however, increased from 21,177 in 1890 to 32.245 in 1900. In 1899 there were 67,957 persons employed in the flax, hemp, and jute industries.