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TJie Country Gcntlemaiis Magazine 



not so well attended as certainly it ought to 

 have been. However, what was wanting in 

 numbers was fully made up by the enthusiasm 

 of the gathering. The speech of the noble 

 chairman contained much instructive advice 

 which, we have no doubt, will bear good fruit. 

 The suggestion with respect to the holding of 

 the anniversary festival in the district where 

 the Show of the Royal Agricultural Society of 

 England is held, or on the occasion of the 

 Smithfield Club Show, is an excellent one, 

 and which, if adopted, would inevitably en- 

 sure an attendance of members worthy of the 

 Society. Again, in many counties in Eng- 

 land, the Institution is altogether, or very 

 nearly, unknown among farmers, and conse- 

 quently the subscriptions from these are 

 nothing to speak of. This, of course, can be 

 easily remedied by the increase of the local 

 agencies, which, we notice, is gradually tak- 

 ing place, and there can be no doubt that the 

 donations and subscriptions will be con- 

 siderably augmented by such a system. There 

 were some slight expressions of dissent among 

 the gentlemen, when Lord Vernon touched 



upon the expediency of reducing the figure of 

 the qualification for voting, and we gather 

 from that that the present standard is low 

 enough. Of course, the members themselves 

 should be their own judge in such a matter, 

 and if they think the present sum adequate 

 to secure them a sufficient capital to extend 

 their operations, we have no doubt that they 

 are right. The suggestion of the relief of 

 agriculturists in momentary difficulties was an 

 excellent one, and we hope to see some 

 good result from it. For instance, by cattle 

 disease, many farmers lose frequently a 

 considerable sum, which, if advanced to 

 them, even for a short time, would in many 

 cases avert disastrous consequences. It may 

 be well to state that Her Majesty the Queen, 

 who, along with her illustrious children, in- 

 variably shews an interest in and .sympathy 

 with farmers, is patron of the Institution, and^ 

 subscribes a yearly sum, as also does the 

 Prince of Wales ; and the Duke of Rich- 

 mond is president. The donations during 

 the past year amounted to little short of 

 ^6000. 



AN AMERICAN VIEW OF ENGLISH FARMING. 



IN an address lately delivered to the far- 

 mers of New Jersey, in the United 

 States, by the Hon. James W. Wall, he 

 alluded to the enormous increase which has 

 taken place of late years in the agricultural 

 produce of England. Less than a century 

 ago the entire production of wheat in this 

 country fell short of 16,000,000 bushels. In 

 1870, the yield exceeded 100,000,000, aver- 

 aging 30 bushels from each acre devoted to 

 this staple. Ivlr Wall pointed out the direct 

 agencies by means of which this increase was 

 brought about by English farmers. 



In the first place^ he said, it is to be found 

 in their systematic attention to all the re- 

 quirements of good farming, in the skill and 

 exactness with which all the operations of 

 ploughing, harrowing, clod-crushing, burning, 



and scarifying are performed ; in the perfect 

 condition of " tilth " to which they bring, 

 the land preparatory to the reception of the 

 seed ; in their careful selection of the best 

 varieties of seed wheat ; in the extensive and 

 prudent use of their barn-yard manure; in 

 the perfection of all their instruments of 

 tillage ; in the strength and discipline of 

 their draught animals ; in the assiduity with 

 which they extirpate every weed and re- 

 move every rock that can interfere with the 

 cultivation of the land. Nothing is left 

 to casualty or chance. No expectations- 

 are indulged that the bounty of Provi- 

 dence in an unusually favourable season will 

 atone for their shortcomings or neglect. 

 Everything which human foresight, scientific 

 skill, intelligence, well-directed labour, and 



