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When the skin ol the land was burnt, but no manure applied, the contract was called ''bumbate" ibid. p. 513. 2 Ibid. p. 520. 3 Ibid. p. 521 FKOM THE UNION TO THE FAMINE 13 system was that the hirer was exposed to the full risk of the year's being bad. He bargained a certainty for a possibility. "The conacre labourer is an indigent speculator who under¬ * Appendix A. p. 206. 6 Nicholls Second Report par. 56. 6 Devon Commn. p. 518. * Banies. A Statistical Account of Ireland founded upon Historical Facts. Dublin 1821. ' Burroughs, View of the State of Agriculture in Ireland. Dublin 1821. 2 18 THE ECONOMIC HISTORY OF IRELAND children. 1 Daniel O'Connell stated in 1825 that in the poorer and more remote counties the average rate was not more than sixpence a day, and that the cottiers were willing to work for twopence rather than be unemployed. 2 Two years later it was computed that the average wage near Dublin and the large towns was about sixteenpence a day, but that the great majority of the cottiers throughout the country were willing to accept eightpence a day in summer and fivepence a day in winter 3 . The Select Committee of 1830 estimated it at tenpence. 4 The result of the evidence given on the subject before the Devon Commission is summarized in the following table : 5 -AVERAGE DAILY WAGE OF AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS District Winter Summer s. d. s. d.