THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



61 



upwarils of £l,200. The society had done much to diffuse 

 80uad priuciples iu reference to agriculture, and, haviug regard 

 to that geueral fact, and especially to the improvement which 

 it had been instrumental in effecting, by bringing forward im- 

 pleineuts combining cheapness with simplicity and efficiency, 

 he thought it might be said that the society liad not failed to 

 perform its duty (Hear, hear). He hoped that all present 

 would endeavour to come to the meeting at Chester, and to 

 bring friends with them, and that he should be enabled to feel 

 that the society had not suffered iu efficiency and usefulness 

 during his presidency. 

 Ballad by jNIiss M. Wells— "Oh, yes, I love thee." 

 Vice-Chancellor Kinder.slev said — In obedience to a 

 command— for he considered a request from the Chairman 

 equivalent to a command— he rose to propose a toast, with 

 which he had the honour to be entrusted. He must begin 

 by apologizin/T for venturing to address an assembly of per- 

 sons f;imiliarly acquainted with agriculture, he himself 

 being entirely ignorant on that subject. Though he had 

 the lionour to be a judge in equity, he confessed he was no 

 judge of Southdovvns or Leicesters (laughter). With re- 

 gard to cattle, he believed he did know a poll-cow when he 

 saw one ; and when he met with the word poll-cow, it was 

 involuntarily associated in his mind with a deed poll (laugii- 

 ter). He knew nothing of the distinction between long- 

 horns and shorthorns ; the only horns with which he had 

 any familiarity were the horns of a dilemma in argument 

 (renewed laughter). But, although he was profoundly ig- 

 norant on this subject, he was not so unobservant of what 

 was going on in the improvement of agriculture as not to 

 feel astonished at the extraordinary success which had at- 

 tended the efforts of that and similar societies. Particu- 

 larly had he observed the advance made in the case of pigs, 

 of which he begged to say he was no less ignorant than of 

 cattle ; but when he saw the outward improvement which 

 had taken place in the skins of pigs, and observed the gra- 

 dual refinement of their coats, he could not doubt that in 

 time thej' would be able to realize the making of a silk purse 

 out of a sow's ear (laughter). Although he was uncon- 

 nected with agriculture, he might not perhaps be altogether 

 out of place there. He did not, indeed, belong to the class 

 of breeders, not to the class of feeders, nor to another class, 

 without whom he presumed they would find it difficult to 

 get on, he meant the butchers ; but he belonged to a class 

 without whom he would like to know how they would get 

 on at all, namely, the consumers (Hear, hear) ; and it was 

 as a humble representative of that very numerous and by 

 no means unimportant class that he ventured to address 

 them. But looking at this matter in a more serious point 

 of view, he confessed that he felt verj^ deeply impressed 

 when he found himself in the presence of gentlemen who 

 were concerned in the pursuit of agriculture, and more par- 

 ticularly of gentlemen who were engaged in the breeding ot 

 cattle. He felt that he was in the presence of those who 

 were the descendants', and representatives of the old yeomen 

 of England — the backbone of the nation — who had for cen- 

 turies past maintained the vigour, and force, and character 

 of this country in a manner with which they were all fii- 

 miliar historically, and of which the}' were all justly proud 

 (cheers). Moreover, the interest which attached to that 

 society was enhanced bj' the fact that the gentrj"^ and aris- 

 tocracy, including some of the highest nobles in the land, 

 united with the fixrmcrs in efforts to achieve what was un- 

 doubtedly a work of great public importance, namely, the 

 increasing the quantity, improving the quality, and cheapen- 

 ing the price of what was a most important article of food 

 in this country (Hear, hear). Still more was this the case 

 when even the highest personage in the realm, next to the 

 Sovereign, did not disdain to enter the arena and compete 

 with the farmer ; and he might add that he had no doubt 

 his Royal Highness was very glad when he obtained a prize 

 (laughter). In this respect the society had established an 

 equality of the right sort— an equality which was perfectly 

 consistent with the gradations and ranks of society. He 

 had now to propose the health of certain gentlemen, who 

 filled certain offices in that society, and who in filling them 

 rendered, he was convinced, the greatest service to it ; he 

 meant the Vice-presidents and Trustees, including the Ho- 

 norary Secretary, who, he was informed, was one of the 

 trustees, and who, in addition to his other services, had re- 

 cently prepared a history of the past proceedinga of the 



club, which he was sure would be read by agriculturists in 

 general with deep interest. If he might be forgiven for 

 taking such a course in the presence of those to whom he 

 had no right to suggest a word of advice or admonition, he 

 would before sitting down remind the farmers of Iilngland 

 of what appeared to him a very important part of their duty 

 in this most momentous crisis. It was, of course, of the 

 utmost importance at the present time that the ranks of the 

 army and that of the nursery of the army, the militia, 

 should be well and adequately filled ; and he would suggest 

 that it was a real duty devolving on every farmer and every 

 landed proprietor in this countr}-, iustead of doing what he 

 was afraid some individuals had done — he was sure none pre- 

 sent had taken that course — namely, discouraging enlistment; 

 it was, he submitted, the duty of all such persons to encou- 

 rage the labourers to enrol themselves in the militia, in order 

 that, in the absence of the regular troops, the shores of this 

 country might not be left without that defence which from 

 the earliest periods in our history, from the Normans, the 

 Plantagenets, and the Tudors downwards, had alwaj^s 

 formed the greatest security of the nation (cheers). 



After a cordial response to the toast, 



Mr. Brandreth Gibbs, on rising to reply, said he re- 

 gretted that it should have agam fallen to his lot to return 

 thanks on behalf of the Vice-presidents and the Trustees. He 

 regretted it, first, because but for the unavoidable absence of 

 his Grace the President this duty would have devolved on 

 their noble chairman; and secondly, because the Vice-presidents 

 and the other Trustees were also abaeut. He sincerely 

 thanked them, however, for the manner in which the toast had 

 been received ; and! for himself he would say that he was 

 always delighted if his conduct met with approbation. The 

 present show seemed to him to mark a positive step in advance, 

 whether they looked at the number of auimals exhibited, or 

 whether they looked at the more fully-developed classiflcatiou 

 of breeds under which the stock was now exhibited. When 

 this classification was introduced three or four years ago, it 

 was regarded by some as an innovation, by others as an im- 

 provement ; but in that little pamphlet which he had pub- 

 lished he had shown that this classification was nothing new, 

 but that the club had only reverted to a practice which existed 

 in it some fifty years ago (Hear, hear). He thought the re- 

 currence to the former custom in that respect had proved most 

 beneficial. If they recalled the number of Devons exhibited a 

 few years back, and then took a glance at the long range of 

 such animals exhibited this year, they would perceive that the 

 breeders fully appreciated the alteration (Hear, hear). He 

 would not detain them longer, but, again thanking them for 

 the compliment which had been paid to the Vice-presidents 

 and Trustees, he would conclude by observing that if the 

 little pamphlet of his which had been referred to proved 

 acceptable and useful to the members, he did feel amply repaid 

 for the time and labour which he had bestowed npon it 

 (cheers). 



Duet, by the Misses Wells — "We come to thee. Savoy." 



Lord W. Lennox proposed, "The Unsuccessful Candi- 

 dates," coupled with the names of Lord Feversham and Mr. 

 Druce, junior. After some eulogistic expressions with regard 

 to Lord Feversham, he said he had been informed that his 

 lordship was successful as the exhibitor of a short-horned 

 heifer at Birmingham, though he had not succeeded in London; 

 and he was convinced that he had too much of the pluck of an 

 Englishman to cease exhibiting in Baker-street because he had 

 failed this year (cheers). 



The toast having been duly honoured. 



The Chairman said he was sure that if either Lord 

 Feversham or Mr. Druce could give the company any infor- 

 mation of a practical character, it would be gratefully received. 

 He should be glad if his old friend Mr. Druce could tell them 

 how he and his neighbours had succeeded in bringing the 

 cross-breed to such perfection as they had done. 



Lord Feversham said, as one of the unsuccessful can- 

 didates, he begged to return thanks for the honour which 

 had been conferred upon them. As regarded his fiiilure 

 that year, he mast observe, that had he ceased exhibiting 

 when he was first unsuccessful, he should have stopped 

 long ago (Hear, hear); and they might rest assured that 

 his want of success that year would not deter him_ from 

 coming forward again (cheers). It happened that in the 

 very first year in which he exhibited iu Baker-street, 

 namely, in 1850, he obtained the first prize in his cla88,«nd 



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