§ MR. THOMAS CURRAN (Sligo, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been directed to the correspondence between the Congested Districts Board and the Guardians of the Boyle Union, in reference to the spraying of potatoes in the barony of Coolavin; and whether, in view of the importance of encouraging the spraying of the potato crop, he will use his influence with the Congested Districts Board to induce them to accede to the request of the Board of Guardians of Boyle?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe application of the Guardians was that the Congested Districts Board should supply potato spraying machines for the use of farmers in certain parts of the Union. The Board replied that the state of their funds prevented them from entertaining the application. It would, in any case, be rather late now to begin spraying operations. In 1896 the Board expended the sum of £1,371 in supplying, free of cost, spraying material to small farmers in congested districts who had either individually, or in partnership consisting of not more than six, purchased a spraying machine. This year the Board are applying a sum of £1,000 for the same purpose.