eit averaging the grass of six cows, vary very considerably in size
and quality. Thus one farmer holds 803 acres, or "the grass of
twenty-four cows," with mountain run attached, at a rent of 35l.,
while another who has 1,493 acres is only charged 26l. for "the grass
of seventeen cows," with proportionate mountain. Even on holdings of
this size, as well as on others of less value, such as 250 acres at a
rent of 13l. 15s., Mr. Bland has experienced great difficulty in
inducing the tenants to bear any share of the cost of building and
other improvements. Of course there are tenants and tenants at
Derryquin, as elsewhere, but the general feeling has undoubtedly been
averse to paying an extra percentage for improvements. Mr. Bland has
done what he could, but has rarely found anybody inclined to pay more
than 2 per cent., and one irreconcilable actually refused to pay 1l. a
year extra to have a 70l. house built for him. The "masther" appears
to take a view of the subject which might have been with great
advantage more widely distributed among Irish proprietors of the
improving sort. It is not extravagant to ask a farmer with the nominal
grass of twenty cows, and a mountain run on which he grazes twice as
many bullocks, to pay 5 per cent. on 80l. or 100l. as the rent of a
good and substantial house; but it is preposterous to ask the holder
of a ten-acre lot to do likewise. Such peasants should, as I observed
in one of my early letters, not be called farmers at all. Their
condition is about equal to that of the English farm labourer. When
the landlord can afford to build better cottages for them than they
now have, he should certainly not expect more than 1, or at best 2 per
cent. for his outlay, and carry the balance to his profit and loss
account, after the manner of English landowners of the best class. The
Derryquin houses or cottages are very well built and excellently
planned; they are also very pretty with their whitewashed walls, red
tile roofs, and doors painted red to match. These patches of bright
colour give extraordinary cheerfulness to a landscape otherwise of
green, brown, and grey, looking cold enough under a weeping sky. The
walls are of stone, "dashed" after the Irish fashion with mortar or
concrete, and slate roofs have now given place to red tiles in fancy
patterns. Inside they are divided into two rooms on the ground floor,
paved with concrete, and two sleeping rooms above, in order, if
possible, to keep the