H& EDITOR'S PREFACE. IN January, 1901, the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland decided to take part in the Glasgow International Exhibition, 1901, by erecting an Irish Pavilion in the Grounds, and displaying therein a representative selection of the characteristic products of Irish Industry. It was arranged, at the same date, that an official handbook dealing with Ireland's chief economic resources should be prepared in connection with the Department's Exhibit at Glasgow. This work was entrusted to my charge, and the original issue of what has now grown to be a very full and comprehensive account of Ireland's economic resources, was issued in June, 1901. A word as to its scope. It was thought well to take the opportunity afforded by the publication of such a work to make it something moreindeed, something other---than an ordinary guide to the Irish Pavilion. The book opens with a description of the general geological and physiographic features of the country, followed by articles on the climate, flora and fauna of Ireland. An analysis of the economic distribution of the population is then given, preliminary to an account of the internal means of communication, and the banking facilities of the country. The next Section is devoted to agricultural and technical education and art instruction. As leading up to the functions of the State Departments in regard to agriculture and industry, an account is given of the splendid work done by some of the great voluntary associations of Ireland in developing the material resources of the country. Two chapters are occupied with a necessarily curtailed analysis of the work of the Congested Districts Board, and the powers and constitution of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland. The principal institutions of Science and Art, which have now passed under the control of the Department, are briefly described. Special articles deal with agriculture, live stock, sea and inland fisheries, shipbuilding, the linen industry, the modern Irish lace industry, and the Art and Cottage industries of Ireland. The articles to which no names are attached in the Table of Contents were, with one or two exceptions, prepared by the Editor, or compiled in the Statistics and Intelligence Branch. The present issue of IRELAND; INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL, is more than a new edition; it is practically a new book. No fewer than 250 pages of entirely fresh matter have been added; quite a dozen of the original articles have been re-written, and considerably amplified, and every contribution has been revised and, as far as possible, brought up to date. In addition a full Index has been appended. The new contributions include articles on the brewing and distilling industries; the bacon-curing industry; the milling industry; the leather and tanning industry; the Derry shirt-making industry; Irish canals; the Royal Agricultural Improvement Society of Ireland, and the North-West Agricultural Association. The book is still, no doubt, imperfect, if considered as a complete survey of Ireland's economic resources; but, within its necessary limits, it presents, perhaps, a fuller and a fairer statement of the actual industrial position of this country than is contained in any other single volume. It is hoped, therefore, that, for several years to come, IRELAND; INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL, may serve as a useful book of reference, which, if it does not always fully satisfy intelligent curiosity, will at least stimulate thought and suggest lines of enquiry. Economic Ireland is still a terra incognita to too large a number, even of Irishmen. The material resources of this country have, in turn, been unduly exaggerated and underrated. An unreasoning optimism, and an equally thoughtless pessimism have, too often, been substituted for the calm observation and consideration of facts quite accessible to scientific tests. In the following pages will be found what is believed to be an unbiassed account of Ireland's Economic and Industrial position at the dawn of the twentieth century, with some statement of the historical events that have led up to that position. Such a narrative is essential to any serious study of the "Irish Problem "but, needless to say, it does not compass the whole of that problem. Issues, vital to its full consideration-the question of land tenure, for example—have, of necessity, been omitted from the present volume, for reasons that ought to be obvious. Such issues, however, are precisely those least likely to be overlooked in this country, or in Great Britain, and are those, also, on which a very large amount of information is already easily available in other publications. On the other hand, the matters-vital ones, too, to the progress of Irelanddiscussed in this work, deal with questions on many of which full and trustworthy information has not hitherto been generally accessible, and in regard to which, public opinion is not yet sufficiently enlightened. The Editor has again to thank the following for permission to use, for the purposes of illustration, certain blocks of which they held the copyright :-The SECRETARY, Board of Education, London; The Arts and Crafts Society of Ireland; Messrs. WITHERBY AND SON, the publishers of Knowledge; Messrs. CHARLES GRIFFIN AND CO., the publishers of |