THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



257 



the Royal Agricultural Society, at Chelmsford, in 185G, be 

 applied to the formation of a County A,ijricultural Associ- 

 ation, for tlie aid and advancement of agriculture, and the 

 promotion of enterprise and emulation amongst the owners 

 and occupiers of land," 



Mr. II. Baker said he had gre.at pleasure in seconding 

 the motion ; he felt that Essex was standing far behind 

 other counties in regard to agricultural societies at the 

 present moment. They had had one at Chelmsftird, one at 

 Colchester, and one at Satfron Walden, all flourishing for a 

 time ; but it happened with local societies that after a time 

 competicion ceased ( Hear). Tiierefore travelling from town 

 to town would perhaps be the best mode of embracing the 

 stock of the whole county. Still he thought there should 

 not be more than tliree or four towns at which the meetings 

 should be held, for transporting stock was an expensive 

 concern, and the places selected should be tliose most con- 

 venient for the railway, or they would find tlieir shows 

 would be deficient. The benefits of these societies on a 

 large scale had been and were fully appreciated ; those 

 little societies prepared the way for larger ones ; and thus 

 the shows of the societj' would prepare the county better 

 for the Royal Agricultural Meeting (Hear). The details, 

 however, of the association would be matters for serious 

 consideration ; but let them once establish the principle, 

 and the details would follow, and he believed they should 

 go on successfully. 



The CuAiRM.iN put the resolution, and it was adopted 

 unanimously. 



Colonel Bkise said he did not thiuk there was much differ- 

 ence of opinion as to the objects for which they were met, and 

 he was happy to thiuk there was to be an association of this 

 kind establiahed, Essex having men cmiaent in agriculture 

 throughout the kingdom, who would give them the benefit of 

 their experience and ability. The association, he believed, 

 would be the means of promoting to a great extent the agri- 

 culture of the county ; nor did he thiuk, after the appropriate 

 observations of the cbairmau, that it would interfere with the 

 Labourers' Friend Societies; whilst it 'being an itinerating 

 association, going from place to place in the county, would in- 

 stil a little competition into all parties (Hear, hear). He 

 thought a subscription ought to be opeued at once, and that 

 the matter should be left till they ascertained the opinion of 

 the county on the subject. He moved — 



" That a meeting of the assofiation be held annually nt such 

 towns iu this county as may hereafter be named, for the exhi- 

 bition of stock and implements, and the distribution of prizes in 

 those and such otlier branches of agriculture as may hereafter 

 be determined upon by the committee." 



Mr. W. Fisher Hobbs said he was glad to fiud that the 

 view he took of this matter on a former occasion had met with 

 the unanimous approbation of this meetiug; he must also ex- 

 press his satisfaction at the observations of the chairman in 

 opeuing the meeting, which he had no doubt would have the 

 approbation of the landed proprietors and the teuaut farmers 

 of the county geneially. The remarks of Mr. Clsyden and 

 Mr. Baker proved the feelings of the farmers on the subject, 

 and he would reiterate their statements as to the feeling of the 

 agriculturists iu his own neighbourhood. His object, however, 

 in rising was to suggest that they should not bind themselves 

 as to where they should go in dilferent years. Let them admit 

 the principle of itinerating, but he should rather suggest that 

 the towns should be left to invite the society ; not that they 

 should ask the towns to allow them to hold their meetings there. 

 With this understanding, he should be happy to second the 

 resolution. Before, however, they could get the society in 

 working order there was a great deal that was required to be 

 done, and much would depend on the intelligence and activity 

 of the secretary (Hear, hear). He must be a man kuowu to, 

 and mixing up with, the agriculturists, so as to be at all times 

 able to coramimicate with them and soUcit their subscriptions. 

 They would also refiuire a good workmg committee, uot a large 

 one, for the purpose of framing the rules of the society ; and 

 it would be necessary to meet day after day before anything 

 could be prepared for the general meeting. It was a question, 

 too, whether there should be ouc ifcneral meeting or two in 

 the year. They had tried both in this county, and sometimes 

 they had succeeded and sometimes not. There had been a 

 spring meeting for store animals and the sale of wool, and 

 then at Christmas a fat stock show. He thought at first they 



had better not attempt too much ; they should have a good 

 meeting once a yea:-, either in May or June, or perhaps in 

 September, when they could have an annual ploughing match 

 and a show of good roots, and where seed corn would be ex- 

 hibited and competeil for. He thought Mr. Baker would 

 agree that, as to seed corn and roots, they had not the compe- 

 titioa they used to have. There were other points, too, not 

 usuallj' taken up by societies of this description, which he 

 thought might be dealt with in a manner beneficial to agri- 

 culture. 



The resolution was put, and unanimously agreed to, 



Mr. Perry Wathngton moved — 



" That the Society consist of president (to be elected 

 annually), vice-presidents, a committee (of which the vice- 

 presideuts shall be ex ufficio members), and members: aud 

 that a yearly subscription of five guineas entitles a subscriber 

 to the rank of vice-president, and of half-a-guinea and upwards 

 to become a member of the association." 

 He was no practical agriculturist himself, but he had taken 

 some interest in the various Labourers' Friend Societies, and 

 he felt no fear at all that such an institution as had been 

 suggested to-day would do any injury to these societies in the 

 different localities (Hear). In a grand society of this sort, 

 carried out in the way which had been stated, he saw nothing 

 that could interfere with them. 



Mr. J. Christy, jun., seconded the resolution, which was 

 adopted. 



Mr. W. M. TuFNELL said he thought there could be no 

 possible doubt that an agricultural society, based on such 

 principles as would command universal support, must be of 

 great benefit to the county. He confessed that whatever mis- 

 givings he might have had on the subject, they had been very 

 much removed by the feeliug he had heard expressed to-day 

 (.Hear), and he was quite sure the best way of promoting the 

 success of such an association would be by all putting their 

 shoulders to the wheel, aud having a long pull together (cheers). 

 He was glad to see present gentlemen of great practical 

 character in agriculture fiom all parts of the county, as this 

 was more satisfactory than if they were all from one locality ; 

 and he thought they should take such measures as were neces- 

 sary to prevent by their subscriptions the society falling into 

 decay. Mr. Clayden, who was as well qualided to give an 

 opinion as any man in the county, said they must have £500 

 to support such a society, and therefore he was glad to see 

 the subscriptions had been fixed at half-a-guinea, as it ap- 

 peared to be the opinion of practical men they should thus 

 obtain a larger sum than if it were double the amount. With 

 respect to Mr. Hobbs's observation as to the time of holding 

 the meeting, he did not wish to criticise that gentleman, but 

 he thought they should take the most popular feature in the 

 agricultural field, and then there would be a large show of fat 

 stock. Therefore he should like to see the meeting fixed at a 

 time when the largest quantity of fat stock would be brought 

 together. He moved — 



"That the Chairman be requested to write to gentlemen iu 

 various parts of the county, asking for their individual cc- 

 operation with the association, and requesting that they will 

 ascertain what support will be given to the establishment of 

 such an association by the owners and occupiers of land in 

 their own immediate neighbourhood ; and that Mr. Burreli be 

 invited to act under this committee until such a time as a 

 regular secretary be appointed." 



Mr. J. O. Parker said, as to the small societies, the cause 

 of their failure had been pointed at ; the petty jealousies of 

 these societies had led to their failure, but here they took a 

 large field. and aimed at great results. He looked on these 

 societies as following in the steps of the Royal Agricultural 

 Society, their objects being to confer some benefits on agri- 

 culture ; and he would rather not see any fat stock, for breed- 

 ing was the great object, and he believed I-^ssex was growing 

 into its place as a breeding county. In a remote part of this 

 county the other day he saw some good home-bted stock 

 stalled, a fine home bred bull in a corner of the yard, petted 

 by the occupier, and a number of home-bred animals on the 

 farm. This showed what was doing ; aud he thought that 

 they ought to promote the breeding of stock on the Essex 

 farms, and that as a society they should have nothing to do 

 with a ploughing match or a wool fair, or anything of that 

 sort. If they introduced anything connected with the 

 labourers, they should trench on the objects of those local 



