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Southland Times, Issue 1782, 19 August 1873, Page 3

Irish Ageicttltuee. — From the Abstract of the Agricultural statistics of Ireland, lately issued, it appears that there has been a decrease during last year of 135,000 acres in the area under crops. The largest share of this decrease is in the potato crop, which has fallen 66,000 acres. Flax also appears to be rapidly declining ; the crop of last year being less in extent by 34,000 acres than in 1871, making a decrease of 131,000 acres since 1867, when it reached its highest pomt — this too in spite of the fostering efforts of the Government. Over 32,000 acres less were cropped in cereals ; this also is but a step in a continuous decline of some years. These figures seem startling, but a little examition proves them to be due to causes the opposite of a decline in the actual prosperity of the country. The more valuable sorts of live stock have largely increased during last year, and the wealth of Ireland in this respect alone has grown in the twelve months at leaßt £300,000. These changes are due, in fact, to the rapid development of grazing farms. Such roots and cereals as were formerly used as food by the poor, or as fodder for their pigs, are being less universally cultivated, while all kinds of grass crops, turnips, and such green crops as cattle thrive best upon, are on the increase. The security of tenure now enjoyed is apparently tending to extinguish the minute farms held of middlemen, and to transform the land into grazing tracts of greater or less extent.

The Boston Globe thinks it is unkind to ridicule those items in the papers about centenarians. It says that it is no easy thing to become a centenarian, and it knows several who have failed — one, particularly, who has been at it ninetys even years, and has not succeeded.