asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the names and addresses of owners or occupiers of land in South Tipperary on which he entered under the Compulsory Tillage Order; the acreage of each owner requisitioned; the crops grown on such holdings; the cost of ploughing, cultivation, manuring, if any, and seeding per statue acre and the amount realised by auction or otherwise on the sale of the produce per statute acre.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Compulsory Tillage (Tipperary).
Under the provision of the current Tillage Order possession was taken last spring of six holdings in South Tipperary. On four of these holdings, namely, those in the occupation of William Cummins, Coolacussane, Dundrum; Miss Maria Grace, Ballymore, Goold's Cross; John O'Donnell, Clonmore, Poulnamucky, Clonmel, and Patrick O'Brien, Ballynilard, Tipperary, conacre lettings were made, on my behalf, and the areas so cultivated in conacre and the crops grown were ten statute acres of wheat and oats, 130 statute acres of wheat, oats and potatoes, 31 statute acres of wheat and 8½ statute acres of wheat, oats and turnips, respectively. On the other two holdings, namely, those in the occupation of Patrick Dwyer, Breanshamore, Tipperary, and Edward Lacy, Foxfort, Bansha, direct cultivation was undertaken on my behalf, and on these lands 16 acres, 2 roods and 8 acres, 3 roods, respectively, were cropped with oats. I am not in a position to give particulars of the cost of ploughing, etc., in respect of the areas cultivated in conacre. On the two holdings where tillage was done by what I may term direct action, the cost of the cultivation operations and of seed amounted to £4 15s. 8d. per statute acre and the crops realised £4 17s. 6d. per statute acre on foot.
Do I take it that the crop realised just the cost of cultivation?
Just a little over the cost of cultivation. Very little over.
One shilling an acre profit.
I did not want to make any profit on it.
Whether the Minister did or did not, he was not able.