SELECT COMMITTEE ON FICTITIOUS VOTES, IRELAND. 127 9458. But I want to know, upon the general run of 10 /. holdings, what he MT. Patrick Flood must have to support his family upon that, taking an average family, and an average scale of expenditure ?— I think any man with 10 acres of ground may do it; everything will depend upon the land and the rent. 9459- Mr- Curry.'] Suppose a man has a farm of 10 acres of good quality, say at 40 s. an acre, will that man be able to support his family ?— Yes, in this barony, afid more too. 9460. Chairman.] You mean to say a man with a 10 /. holding will be able to support his family, and pay 40 5. an acre for the land ?— Yes. 9461. Suppose a man has 10 acres at 2/. an acre, to what degree would you say he is able to support his family out of that ?— Yes, he would, and pay his rent. 9462. And lay by money ?— Yes. 9463. How much ?— I cannot say. 9464. 1 /., or 2 /., or 3 /. a year ?— He may make 10 I. a year and put it by. 9465. Y'ou mean to say a farmer may pay a fair rent of 20 L. a year upon 10 acres, may support an average sized family upon it, and lay by 10/. a year?— Yes ; I know a man who pays 4 /. an acre to Mr. Webb upon five acres of land, and he told me he laid by 8 /. a year. 9466. What amount of capital had he expended upon that farm ?— I should think very little. 9467. Had he stock to the amount of 1 I. ?— Yes, he had a cow. 9468. How much was the stock worth that was upon that farm ?— He had nothing but a cow and a couple of pigs; I would not class his land as equal to the land in the barony of Granard, but it is first class land in the barony he lives in. 9469. What was the value of the stock upon that farm ?— I did not value the stock. I can tell the rent he paid, 4 /. an acre for five acres. 9470. Had he a cow, or a horse, or pigs, or what ?— He had a cow and pigs. 9471. Was the stock upon his farm worth 10/. altogether?— Yes, certainly. 9472. How much more, do you think?— I did not value them. 9473. What is your belief ?— I think between his cows and pigs they should be worth 15/. 9474. What is his beneficial interest ?— I did not value his beneficial interest. 9475. What do you believe it to be ?— The man told me himself he made a a beneficial interest of 8 /. a year, after paying his rent. 9476. Would you call that a beneficial interest of 8 /. a year or not?— Yes. 9477. Then you mean to say, in all the cases in which you have calculated the beneficial interest, it is that sum of money which a prudent man would lay by after cultivating his farm and and taking care of his family ?— I did not state that. 9478. You have stated several instances of persons having a beneficial interest of 30/. or 40/. a year j now I want to know whether you mean by beneficial interest, that sum which a man might lay by for the support of his family, or what he may lay by after supporting his family ?— No ; I mean what a man would lay by for the support of his family, after paying taxes and labour. 9479. Mr. Lefroy.] Now with respect to those farms upon which you have given evidence, generally speaking, the land appears, according to your state- ment, to be of very fine quality ?— Yes ; in the barony of Granard it is as good as any in the county. 9480. Now allow me to ask you how much an acre does a man get upon con- acre for potatoes ?—£. 8. and eight guineas, and some as high as 9 /. Mr. Webb, who valued the tithe composition, and came here to give testimony, is getting 9 /. an acre for potatoes this very season. 9481. And if a man cultivate the land himself, what produce would he have from an acre of potatoes ?— A great deal depends upon the season, and the crop. 9482. Taking the average?— I consider eight sacks of potatoes is a good average, and if he planted the crop himself, the potatoes would be worth 14/. 9483. Generally speaking, the tenants pay for those lands you speak of, about 35 s. an acre ?— They pay more. 9484. Generally speaking, do the rents paid for those lands average more than 35s. an acre?— Indeed they do. 643. " R 4 9485- With 15 May 1838.