74 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



THE LONDON, OR CENTRAL FARMERS' CLUB. 

 TPIE ANNUAL DINNER. 



The annual dinner took place on tlie Tuesday evening in 

 the Sinidifield Show week, at Radley's Hotel, under the 

 presidency of the cbairman of the year, Mr. Owen Wallis. 

 Among those present on this occasion were: Mr. R.Baker 

 (of Wriltle), Mr. W. Bennett, Mr. Mechi, Mr. Cuthbert 

 Johnson, Mr. Trethewy, Mr. Wilmot, Mr. Bullock 

 Webster, Mr. Bell, Mr. C. Stokes, Mr. Parkinson, Mr. 

 Coussmaker, Mr. Skelton, Mr. J. Wood (Sussex), Mr. E. 

 Pope, Mr. C. Howard, Mr. J. Druce, Mr. Molyneux, Mr. 

 J. H. Johnson, Mr, Hammond, Mr. Goldhurst, Mr. H. 

 CheHins, Mr. W. Chctfins, Mr. Tuxford, Mr. Purser, Mr. 

 Pile, Mr. Cutts, Mr. Congreve, Mr. Ward, Mr. Reeve, &c., 

 &c. Mr. Thomas, of Bletsoe, occupied the vice-chair. 



After the dinner, which was furnished bj^ the landlord, 

 Mr. Holt, in excellent style, 



The Chairman proposed " The Queen," observing that 

 the throne of England was never occupied by a sovereign 

 who had greater claims to the affection jf her subjects. 



After a heartily-loyal response to the toast, 



The Chairman said, the next toast was " The Prince 

 Consort, the Prince of Wales, and the rest of the Royal 

 Family." The first of these exalted individuals had been 

 distinguished ever since he had been amongst them as the 

 patron of the arts and sciences, and had done all he could 

 to promote the social and intellectual welfare of his fellow- 

 beings. He was also, as they were aware, a great patron 

 of €agriculture. Of the Prince of Wales they at present 

 knew but little, but they induced a hope that he would 

 profit by the example of his illustrious parents, and would 

 prove at some distant day a fit successor to his Royal 

 mother. While the cause of the arts and sciences was well 

 represented by the Prince Consort, the cause of the army 

 and of .the national defences was equally well represented 

 by another member of the Royal familj-, the Duke of Cam- 

 bridge, who by bis speeches on various public occasions 

 had shown that he was as much to be admired for his 

 sound, practical, good sense and his kindness of heart, as 

 they all knew that he was for bis daring courage and intre- 

 pidity in the presence of an enemy (cheers). 



After a due response to this toast. 



The Chairman proposed " The Army and Navy." He 

 said when that toast was proposed three }'ears ago, their 

 gallant soldiers had just won for themselves imperishable 

 fame at the battles of the Alma and Inkermann, and now 

 they had fresh claims to our admiration, arising from the 

 fortitude with which they had undergone sufferings and 

 privations ten times more fatal than 'Jie bullets or the 

 bayonets, the shot or the shell, of the Russians (cheers). 

 The army, which had before so much cause for just pride, 

 had recently performed acts of the greatest intrejiidity and 

 daring in suppressing the mutiny of the treacherous Bengal 

 sepoys ; and though universally outnumbered, they had on 

 all occasions come off the victors. The names and deeds of 

 Havelock and his devoted companions would continue in 

 the recollection of a grateful country. Well might they 

 indulge a hope that Havelock and his forces would be 

 rescued from the perilous position in which they were when 

 last heard of, and that the gallant general would live to 

 reap the reward and enjoy the honours conferred upon him 

 (cheers). 



The toast was drunk with the greatest enthusiasm. 



The Chairman afterwards said, the toast which he was 

 about to propose was imdoubtedly the toast of the evening, 

 for it was " Success to the Central Farmers' Club" (cheers). 

 It had been customary on that and similar occasions to 

 review their past proceedings, und to examine the present 

 state and future proipects of the club ; and whether they 

 looked at the past, the present, or the future, he thought 

 that at no period of its existence had it been in so good a 

 position as at that moment. Three or four years ago it was 

 thought that the club would be broken up. Indeed its 



downfall was very eommonlj^ predicted. He, for one, never 

 paid much attention to these predictions, believing that the 

 club was of so useful and valuable a character that it would 

 ultimately receive that amount of support from the farmers 

 of England to which the objects it had in view so well 

 entitled it. The Royal Agricultural Society brought 

 before tbem the best specimens of breeding stock, and the 

 implemeuts which were best suited to the intreasiug wants of 

 the farmer. On the other hand, the Smithfield Club, and 

 other societies of a similar nature, brought before their notice 

 the best specimens of fat animals. But ia a society like the 

 Central Farmers' Club, the farmers of England could meet to- 

 gether, and learn how breeding-stock might be best reared; 

 how fattening stock might be beat fed ; what implements were 

 beet suited to their purposes ia their respective localities; 

 what manure was moat advantageous for a particular crop — 

 how it could be best prepared, and how best applied ; how the 

 soil could be most economically and effectually drained ; how 

 laud which had hitherto been in a state of waste could be 

 brought under successful and profitable cultivation ; and last, 

 though not least, how the labourers of England could be best 

 educated, so as to suit the altered circumstauces of themselves 

 and their employers (cheers). It was, he said, in societies like 

 that, that farmers met together to learn from each other, by 

 discussing subjects of that nature; and those who from a false 

 economy stayed at home, or took no notice of the matter, 

 would ultimately find themselves distanced in the race which 

 they were all running (Hear, hear). So far from having to 

 mourn over the dowufall of the club, they had to rejoice ia its 

 daily iucreasing prosperity. During the year which was now 

 closing, they had elected very nearly the same number of 

 members that they had in two preceding years — by far 

 the three best years the club ever enjoyed — and coucur- 

 reut with this augmetitatioa in its numbers, the club had 

 greatly increased in reputation and in the estimation of the 

 public. This was manifest from the value of the discussions 

 which had taken place duriog the past jea', and the position 

 and character of the gentlemen by whom they were introduced. 

 Moreover, their financial position also exhibited a great im- 

 provement ; for instead of their being in debt, as they were 

 some years ago — if they were not in debt at that period, their 

 income was not equal to their expenditure — that state of 

 things was now reversed, and they were actually saving money 

 at the rate of about £50 a year (cheers). He thought he was 

 safe, therefore, in affirming that the prospects of the club were 

 more flourishing than they had been at any previous time 

 during its career. He now called upon them to drink " Suc- 

 cess to the Club ;" and he would couple with the toast the 

 name of Mr. Baker, of Writtle. 



After a fitting response to this toast, 



Mr. Baker said he felt that be was very highly compli- 

 mented in being selected to return thanks for this toast, more 

 especially as his name had been connected with the toast by 

 their excellent chairman, Mr. Wallis. He was quite sure that 

 the club was very much indebted to that gentleman for the manner 

 in which he had presided over its proceedings ; and no one 

 could be otherwise than satisfied with the progress it had made 

 under his superintendence. He hoped he should be excused if 

 be spoke for a moment of himself in connection with the club 

 (Hear, hear). He was one of the first originators of the club ; 

 He had been an attentive promoter of its interests from the 

 commencement, and he hoped he should continue so to the 

 end. He saw it in its first infancy, winding along its tortuous 

 way," dragging its slow length along;" he now rejoiced to 

 see it in its maturity, occupying a position superior to that of 

 any similar institution of the kind in the country (cheers). 

 And how were they to account for this ? How were ihey to 

 explain the fact that that club now formed one of the leading 

 agricultural features of this country ; and that, though it did 

 not perhaps occupy so elevated a position as the Koyal Agri- 

 cultural Society, but one of a secondary nature, yet it bene- 



