Thanks Bill No wonder the Irish are scattered all over the world. Bless them! cheers -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: 02 July 2008 16:14 To: [email protected] Subject: RE: News extracts: July 2, 1822: Cause of the famine in Ireland Theresa, My understanding is that there was an earlier potato famine in the 1820's. The British took every advantage of the crops failing by forcing the Irish to leave. Bill -------------- Original message -------------- From: "Theresa Green" <[email protected]> > > > Thanks for this, its very interesting. In my strange mode of thought, I > believed the potato famine was a devastating one-off that occurred > during the 1840s.... I know I'm showing my ignorance here but - Does > anyone know if there were several potato famines? Did the crops fail > regularly? What did they eat before the potato? > > Thanks again. > Theresa > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > On Behalf Of Alison Kilpatrick > Sent: 02 July 2008 09:02 > To: [email protected] > Subject: News extracts: July 2, 1822: Cause of the famine in Ireland > > Transcribed from the 2 July 1822 edition of The Strabane Morning > Post, by permission of The British Library: > > Cause of the Famine in Ireland. > The immediate cause of the periodical famines of Ireland, is the use > of the potato as the staple article of food. A quantity of land will > support a much greater number of persons on potatoes than on wheaten > bread; and if the potato, in other respects, formed as good a staple > article of bread as food, its supporting a greater population would be a > decided advantage. But the potato, considered as the staple article of > the food of the people, is, in all other respects, less eligible than > bread. The potato crop is much more precarious than that of wheat; > potatoes from their bulk, cannot be so easily transported, so as to > equalize the supply of food throughout the several districts of the > country, and, from their perishable nature, the superabundant supply of > one season cannot be carried forward to meet the deficiencies of > another. There is another most important particular in which the potato > is considered as the staple article of food, is inferior to wheaten > bread. When bread forms the main article of food, the customary wages of > common labour will be regulated by the customary price of wheat, and > when any deficiency in the supply of wheat occurs, the people can resort > to some cheaper article as a temporary substitute. But when potatoes > form the main article of food, and when, in consequence, the customary > wages of labour are regulated by the customary price of potatoes, then, > when a deficiency of crop occurs, there remains no cheaper substitute to > supply their place. A people fed upon potatoes, live upon the verge of > famine--they are absolutely without resource, and the occasional > deficiencies in the seasons, which, were their customary subsistence > more costly, would only deprive them of some of their comforts, now > plunge them in all the miseries of want. > By order of the Marquis of Wellesley, a circular has been > distributed through the different counties of Ireland, addressed to > intelligent and practicable men, and proposing a set of queries with a > view to ascertain the probable extent of the potato crop of this season, > as compared with that of the preceding years, and also to learn the > latest period, at which potatoes may be safely planted, as well as the > difference of produce between the early and late planting. This measure, > among a multitude of others, demonstrates how minutely and sedulously > his excellency revolves the best interests of the country, and the > comfort of the population. > > =================== > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in > the subject and the body of the message ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message