THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



115 



into small portions, that agriculture could hardly be 

 said to have yet assumed in that country its 

 full proportions, or to have had anything like a chance 

 of being compared favourably with the land of 

 Great Britain. In this country exactly the opposite 

 principle prevailed, and in avoiding one extreme 

 the State had perhaps rushed into the other. 

 Nearly the -wliole of the soil belonged to a few 

 great proprietors, and to tlie manyother disadvantages 

 to which the tenant-farmer was subjected was added 

 that of great uncertainty of tenure." And, again : 

 Lord Macaulay, in his " History of England," spoke 

 with deep regret of the gradual disappearance of the 

 substantial yeomen of former days — the men who 

 owned the land which they cultivateel — and the substi- 

 tution for them of those who merely cultivated what 

 belonged to another. The land was now almost uni- 

 vei'sally cultivated by those who were mere vicarious 

 possessors of it, and not real owners. The position of a 

 tenant was, to a certain extent, that of a hireling; 

 the produce of the time and money which he in- 

 vested in tlie improvement of the soil were more 

 or less at the mercy of another person ; and let gen- 

 tlemen who were familiar with the ordinary course 

 of business in that city say what it must be to invest ca- 

 jtital, and feel that it was not under your own control." 

 While he added, with all justice, that the farmers of 

 this country " Nobly did their duty in the cultivation 

 of tlie soil, as was proved by its general condition when 

 compared with that of any otlier country in the world." 

 Now here is sometliing to go upon. In the first place, 

 we do not surely want to regret with Lord Macaulay the 

 loss of the small yeomen, or wish so to see the king- 

 dom " divided and cut up into small portions," as is 

 still the lamentable fact in France. On the contrary, 

 we have a rapidly improving race of tenantry, em- 

 ploying more means and developing more ability, "who 

 nobly do tlieir duty by the cultivation of the soil." 

 But as Mr. Hoskyns well observes, they do not hold 

 their proper position. There is not due security of 

 tenure. The tenant is still to a certain extent some- 

 thins of a hireling. Ilis time and his money are too 

 much at the mercy of others. And then he asks what 

 would the city gentlemen say to this? Mr. Hoskyns 

 could only ask for one answer : — " Achieve your inde- 

 pendence. Insist on due opportunity for carrying out 

 your business; and, above all, do not put yourselves 

 at the mercy of others." One of the standard objects 

 of this journal has been to urge such a course, and we 

 here urge it still. But how? Is independence, secu- 

 rity, and something better than the position of a hire- 

 ling to be had by askingthose we deal with for ten-pound 

 notes to put our widows into alms-houses, or to keep 

 our children out of the charity-school ? There is a 

 hard struggle for a recognized standing now going on 

 that will never be gained, but only seriously retarded 

 by the extended operation of any such a society as this 

 Agricultural Benevolent Institution. We counsel the 

 farmers to carefully take their own course over the pro- 

 ject. At best we rank it but a good intention, fostered 

 by some too-ready benevolence, no little personal vanity, 

 and a good deal of semi-concealed self-interest. Let 

 us ponder over all Mr. Hoskyns can say for it. 



THE AGRICULTURAL BENEVOLENT 

 INSTITUTION. 



The opening festival of this Institution, " for the relief 

 of farmers, their widows and orphaus," took place at 

 the " London" Tavern, on Tuesday, June 26. The Duke 

 of Richmond, who was suffering from a sore throat, v/as un- 



able to preside ; and Lord Spencer had also to decline the 

 duty solicited of him. Under those circumstances, Mr. 

 Chandos Wren Hoskyns kindly undertook the office of 

 chairman. He was supported on his right by Mr. Alex- 

 ander Wood, a barrister, and the Treasurer of the Welsh 

 Society ; and on his left by Mr. Thomas Batson, who at 

 one time farmed in Herefordshire. There were also some- 

 where about a hundred and fifty others present; and 

 amongst these Mr. Samuel Brooks (the banker of Man- 

 chester), Major Parker (one of the members for West 

 Suffolk), Mr. Burton (of the firm of Ripon and Burton), 

 Mr. Alderman Mechi, Mr. Bazin (of the firm of Mechi and 

 Bazin), Air. James Howard (the implement maker), Mr. 

 Collins, Mr. R. Morgan and Mr. Giblett (the Smithfield 

 salesman), Mr. Thomas Scott (laud agent), snd the fol- 

 lowing, whom we were enabled to identify from the agricul- 

 turiats "up" for the occasion: J. Clayden (Essex), G. 

 Shackel (Berks), J.Smith (Rye), T. Knight (Edmonton), T. 

 Crisp (Suffallt), J. W. Brown (Swindon), J. Cutts (Efsex), 

 R. Russell, G. Russell, and J. Russell (Kent), J. Cressing- 

 ham (Surrey), J. W. Brown (Wilts.), R. W. Baker (Rut- 

 land), W. Walton (Hants.), J. Reeve (Norfolk), F. Sher- 

 born (Middleaex), C. Burrell (Essex), W. Boards (Edmon- 

 ton), R. B. Smith (Edmonton), Goodwin, Palgrave, 

 Belcham, Tayloe, &c. &c. 



After the health of Her Majesty, most loyally responded 

 to, in proposing the next toast of " The Prince Con- 

 sort, the Prince of Wales, and the other members of the 

 Royal Family," the Chairman said it was customary for 

 those who occupied his own position to leave that toast in 

 respectful silence, though it was always received with en- 

 thusiasm; but he could not on that occasion refrain from 

 saying two or three words. He had had frequent oppor- 

 tunities of witnessing the deep interest which was taken in 

 agriculture and all its branches, and in different manufac- 

 tures connected with agriculture, by His Royal Highness 

 the Prince Consort, who had set an example which was well 

 worthy of being followed by every English landowner, by 

 the care, the attention, and the continued interest which 

 he had bestowed on the science and practice of agriculture 

 in this country. As a steward of the implement depart- 

 ment at Salisbury, he had the honour of conducting his 

 Royal Highness over the grounds, pointing out to him the 

 chief implements exhibited ; and he must say that though 

 he had been forewarned that he would find very little mecha- 

 nism employed in agriculture upon which His Royal High- 

 ness needed information, the result of what he witnessed in 

 that respect greatly exceeded his expectations. There were 

 very few things indeed with regard to which he had occa- 

 sion to afford explanation. The Prince showed himself 

 thoroughly able to appreciate any improvements of impor- 

 tance ; and when he met with any special novelty of a use- 

 ful character, he was almost sure to secure the advantages 

 which it afforded for his own farm, by giving an order. 

 As regarded the Prince of Wales, he would observe that 

 there .were antecedents connected with his race, besides 

 those presented by the career of his royal father, which 

 might well induce him to prove a lover of agricultural pur- 

 suits. His greatgrandfather not only farmed, but wrote on 

 farming under the name of "John Robinson ;" and it was 

 to be hoped that the heir to the throne woidd duly appre- 

 ciate a branch of industry with which were so closely bound 

 up the wealth and happiness of Great Britain (cheers.) 



The Chairhian said be thought he might venture to say 

 that there never was a period in the history of this country 

 when the toast he was about to propose was more cordially 



