THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



49 



to allokv the army of EuglauJ, in any lumbera, to pass 

 through France (loud cheers). Now, the Pacha of Egypt, 

 actiiiic ill the same spirit, voluuteered to facilitate the transit 

 of our army across the Isthmus of Suez (renewed cheers). It 

 was hardly necessary, perhaps, that lie should mention the 

 names of the heroes who had distinguished themselves during 

 these troubles in India. They were " familliar in our mouths 

 as household words ;" still he miajht be excused if he referred 

 to a fe.v of those to whom they were anxious to do honour. 

 There were Neill and Nicholson, aud other brave men, who 

 had fought and bled in their country's cause. There were 

 others who, he trusted, still survived, aud who only last night 

 received from parliament an acknowledgment of their gallant 

 services ; he alluded to General Wilson aud General Havelock 

 (tremendous cheering). There were also Greathed (cheers), and 

 Outran? aud Eyre of the Punjaub, the devoted Salkeld, un- 

 equalled for his gallant daring (cheers) ; Lawrence, Home, 

 Wheeh r. Chamberlain, Cotton, and Edwardes (loud cheers). 

 All these had distinguished themselves by their heroic qualities 

 and military skill, and had covered themselves with glory. 

 He was sure, therefore, that the present assembly would, with 

 the warm enthusiasm of grateful hearts, drink to the health of 

 our Army and Navy. (The toast was druuk with loud and 

 protracted cheering.) 



Lieut.-Colouel Townelisy, in returning thanks, said that 

 he had not the honour of being connected with the regular 

 army, but he begged to say that he sympathised fully in the 

 expression of admiration which had fallen from the Chairman 

 for our gallant troops in India ; and that he had taken the 

 command of a regiment of militia for the sole purpose of giving 

 greater facility to the efforts of our army abroad (cheers). 



Glee — "Blow, gentle gales," 



The Chairman would now propose to them what was 

 generally considered, at these gatherings, as the toast of the 

 evening, and he was happy to state that any difficulty he 

 might have experienced in giving it had been entirely removed 

 by the able pamphlet which their excellent Secretary, 

 Mr. Gibhs, had recently published, and which contained a 

 history of the Club from its commencement (Hear). He was 

 quite sure that he only echoed the sentiment of every member 

 when he expressed his thanks to Mr. Gibbs for the trouble 

 and pains he had taken in drawing up t lat report (Hear, hear). 

 It appeared, then, that the Smithfield Club was established so 

 early as the year 1798, and that iu 1800 it comprised only 

 fifty members. In 1838 the Royal Agricultural Society of 

 England was originated in this room, and he well remembered 

 being present on the occasion, and being consulted, with many 

 others, upon the subject. The statement contained in Mr. 

 Gibbs' pamphlet, therefore, he could take upon himself to say 

 was perfectly correct, and that the Royal Agricultural Society 

 did derive its origin from this (Hear, hear). It was also 

 noticed in the pamphlet that the show was removed from the 

 inconvenient situation in Goswell-street to Baker-street, in 

 1839 ; and that her gracious Majesty visited the yard in 1844, 

 and again in 1850. In 18-11 the Prince Consort became a 

 member of the Club ; aud how the institution had gone on 

 and prospered to the present time all who were in the habit of 

 visiting the show could tell (cheers). The members of the 

 Club now numbered, he believed, about 300; and he might 

 state, not as a matter of boast, but as a matter of fact, what 

 could not be said of any other society in the kingdom, that 

 with these 300 members they were enabled to give prizes to the 

 amount altogether of £1,250 (loud cheers). The interest 

 which their annual shows excited iu the metropolis and through- 

 out the country, proved the extent of the interest which 

 was everywhere taken in agriculture, and that the community 

 at large approved of the farmers of England uniting together 

 for the purpose of devising the best means of producing for 

 the population the greatest amount of animal food at the 

 cheapest possible rate (cheers). Now, that was the main 

 object of the club (Hear, hear). It was for that it was esta- 

 blished, aud in that it had succeeded. But notwithstanding 

 the interest which was manifested in the show-yard, it was 

 impossible to appreciate all the benefits which accrued to the 

 country at large from the operations of the Smithfield Cattle 

 Club (Hear, hear). It was all very well for their friends in 

 Loudon to go into the yard and admire a beast ; but they 

 should go into the country, into the country murkets, and 

 into the tenant farmers' homesteads aud the tenant farmers' 

 fields. There they would see for themselves the increased 

 Ttilue given to cattle. There they would see the aptitude to 



feed aud fatten, and there they would see the development of 

 early maturity; all of whicli showed that the club were doing 

 good service to their country by promoting the production of 

 the largest amount of food for the people at the smallest 

 possible cost. He would detain them no longer, but at once 

 give "Success to the Smithfield Cattle Club," 



The toast was druuk with three times three, aud great 

 applause. 



Mr. Gibbs, the Honorary Secretary, then read the list of 

 winners of the gold medals at the exhibition of the club for 

 the present year. 



The Chairman, in presenting the gold medal for the beat 

 steer or ox in any of the classes to Mr. Wortley, congratulated 

 that gentleman on his success, and expressed the pleasure he 

 felt that the medal would be taken into his own neighbour- 

 hood. In conclusion, he proposed Mr. Wortley's health. 



Mr. Wortley returned thanks, and assured the company 

 that he felt the highest pride in being able to contribute 

 another laurel to the chaplet worn by the agriculture of his 

 native county. 



The Chairman next presented Colonel Towueley with the 

 gold medal for the best heifer or cow in any of the classes, 

 and announced that that was the twentieth gold medal which 

 the gallant colonel had won in various parts of the kingdom 

 (cheers). He begged to propose his health. 



Lieut.-Colonel Towneley acknowledged the compliment, 

 and assured them that he esteemed it a very high honour to 

 be a second time the winner of the gold medal of the Smith- 

 field Club. His success, however, he attributed more to the 

 judgment aud skill of the gentleman from whom he had ob 

 tained his herd, than to any merits of his own. He got that 

 herd from a gentleman who had been bred up with a know- 

 ledge of the good points of an animal from his youth, and when 

 he (Colonel Towneley) came into the estate, that gentleman, 

 having more to do than he could well manage, gave up hia 

 herd to him ; and that was the commencement of his own 

 operations. He had now been in the trade, he might say, 

 about eight or nine years ; and another cause of the success 

 he had achieved was that he had always endeavoured to get 

 the best males and the best females together. If they got 

 really good blood they were almost certain to produce a good 

 animal. The ox which he had had the pleasure of showing in 

 the yard this year was from a common milking cow which he 

 had bought in the market. He forgot the price he had paid for 

 her, but it was certainly under £20. The ox, he believed, was 

 not a bad one; and it had been produced by a single cross 

 with a good bull. Indeed, he could not recommend farmers to 

 do better than to get a good male animal for whatever stock 

 they happened to have. He had placed a good bull at the dis- 

 posal of his tenants, and he believed that by this means he 

 had improved the value of their stock from £1 to £3 a-head 

 (cheers). It should not be forgotten, either, that the most 

 valuable animals were good milkers as well as good breeders 

 (hear, hear). 



Lord Feversiiam then presented the gold medal awarded 

 to the best pen of long-woolled sheep iu any of the classes, to 

 Lord Bernets. , 



The Chairman said the pleasing task now devolved upon 

 him of proposing the health of their President, his Grace the 

 Duke of Richmond, as the winner of the gold medal to the 

 best pen of one year-old short-woolled sheep (cheers). Thau 

 the name of the Duke of Richmond, he was sure there was 

 none more acceptable to the farmers of this country (Hear, 

 hear). At periods when the interests of agriculture had been 

 assailed, they had known him as the faithful friend of the 

 farmer, and such they had invariably fouud him to the present 

 day. He regretted the absence of his noble friend on this 

 occasion ; but it arose entirely from a sense of duty. His 

 noble friend was devoting himself to completing the organiza- 

 tion of the militia of hia county, and in a letter which he had 

 written to the Society he stated that he did not wish to be 

 absent from that militia a single day, whilst he thought his 

 presence amongst them was of importance. If he (Lord 

 Berners) might be allowed to address a word to his brother- 

 farmers in reference to the militia, he would observe, that it 

 was in the power, as it was the duty, of each and all of them 

 in their several stations, when they returned to their homes, to 

 assist iu recruiting by volunteers that truly constitutional 

 force (Hear, hear). And let them remember that every man 

 who joined the militia at the present moment was filling the 

 place of one of tho»e known and tried soldiers who had been 



