THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



119 



purpose the grand point was to keep them warm and dry (Hear.) 

 How did the Manche8ter manufacturers act with regard to the 

 people whom they employed ! Why, they took caro to keep 

 them warm and comfortable, well knowing how much they do 

 with health and vigour. They availel themselves for that pur- 

 pose of the waste steam of their engines— he believed that in 

 less than a hundred years every farmer in this country would 

 have plenty of steam — and in tint manner they no doubt pro- 

 moted their own interest as well as that of thoir work-people- 

 He was convinced that the time would soon arrive when it would 

 be as customary to regulate the temperature of the bullock-house 

 as it was to regulate that of the factory, and the tendency of 

 that would be to cheapen beef and mutton to the public, and at 

 the same time to ensure to the farmer a larger profit (cheers). 

 His heart was, he assured them, cheered by the spectacle which 

 he witnessed that night. Ho had long been in the habit of pre- 

 siding at public dinners — when Sheriff he had presided at two 

 in one day; and while attending the anniversary festivals of 

 charitable institutions for the trades of butchers, fishmongers, 

 and many other callings — for there was hardly one which had 

 not charity connected with it — he had often asked himself why 

 it was that the most powerful and perhaps the richest interest in 

 England, that of agriculture, had no institution for the relief of 

 distressed persons connected with it (Hear, hear). The farmers 

 of Great Britain paid je50,000,000 a-year as rent to their land- 

 lords, and the land they cultivaied was worth in the market 

 twenty-eight years purchase. How was it then, that agriculture 

 stood alone in possessing no charity for the benefit of those who 

 followed its pursuits? Such was the train of thought which had 

 often occurred to his mind, and it was that which led him to 

 take the course that he had done in reference to the object which 

 they were assembled to advance (cheers). Railways and the 

 penny postage system had enabled him thus far to carry out a 

 design which a few ytars ago would perhaps have been im- 

 practicable in consequence of agriculturists being such a widely- 

 scattered body and the vast unavoidable expense of communi- 

 cation; and he trusted that in reference to that object, as well 

 as in other matters directly connected with their interests, 

 farmers generally were now about to lose their isolation, and to 

 become a homogeneous body, conscious of, and energetically 

 using, their own power for their own benefit, and at the same 

 time for that of the community of which they formed such an 

 important a part. He did not know any body of men who were 

 more hospitable than farmers, and hospitality and charity were, 

 he need scarcely say, closely allied (cheers). He trusted that 

 that was the beginning of great things, and that the institution 



would not want adequate support. He was not one of those who 

 believed In the poverty of agriculturists as a body. That was all 

 fudge (laughter). Agriculture was powerful and wealthy ; its 

 resources were, moreover, constantly accumulating ; and if only 

 a very moderate amount of the spare money of farmers were 

 devoted to the encouragement of this new charity, there would 

 be ample provision for such cases as it was intended to meet. 

 (Hear, hear). That an institution of that kind was needed no 

 one could doubt who had at all reflected on the matter or 

 observed what was continually passing around him. Only that 

 day he had received a letter from a decayed farmer, who, after 

 having occupied TOO acres of land for a considerable period, had 

 been ruined by his own children, and was now in a union-house; 

 and whether it was from such a cause as that, or from the want 

 of tenant-right, or from some other of the numerous causes of 

 failure to which farmers were subject, cases must frequently 

 present themselves in which charitable aid was absolutely indis- 

 pensable to prevent others from being placed in a similar posi- 

 tion. He tlianked them most cordially for their presence that 

 evening, and was amply rewarded by it for any labour which he 

 had performed or any anxiety which he had suffered in the 

 inauguration of the institution (cheers). 



Mr. Walton expressed his gratitude to persons unconnected 

 with agriculture who had lent their pecuniary aid and their 

 countenance to the formation of the charity. 



Mr. JoHS Clayden proposed " The Council of the Society," 

 observing that those gentlemen had devoted their time and their 

 talents to the revision of the rules of the institution, and had 

 thus no doubt contributed greatly to its future usefulness. He 

 trusted that all farmers who were themselves in a prosperous 

 condition would feel it to be a duty to subscribe towards the 

 support of an institution which was formed for the benefit of 

 their own class. 



Mr. Batson, in acknowledging the toast on behalf of the 

 Council, testified to the unanimity which had characterized their 

 proceedings, and to the great assistance which they had received 

 from Mr. Mechi and his partner Mr. Bazin, who had both 

 laboured to the utmost in laying the foundation on which the 

 Council hoped to be enabled to rear a goodly structure (cheers), 



Tlie toast of " The Stewards" having been proposed by Mr. 

 Griffith, 



Mr. R. W. Baker returned thanks, remarking that he re- 

 garded his connection with that institution as one of the happiest 

 circumstances of his life. 



The Chairman then gave "The Ladies," with which toast 

 the proceedings terminated shortly before twelve o'clock. 



ON THE INFLUENCE OF CLEARINGS IN THE DIMINUTION 

 OF RIVERS AND STREAMS. 



[translated from the "journal d'agricultuke pratique."] 



It is an important question, much agitated at the present 

 time, whether agricultural operations have any eflfect in 

 modifjing the climate of a countr}'. Extensive clearings, the 

 draining of marshes, which effect changes in the distribution 

 of heat during the difl'erent seasons of the year, do they also 

 exercise an influence on the running streams which water 

 a country? whether in diminishing the quantity of rain, or 

 in promoting a more quick and rapid evaporation, where 

 extensive forests have been cut down, and transformed into 

 cultivated farms ? 



In numerous localities we have believed it to be apnarent 

 that since a certain period watercourses formerly employed 

 as mill races have very sensibly decreased. In other cases 

 there is reason to think that the rivers have become less 

 deep ; and the increasing extent of the spaces covered with 

 shingle appearing on their shores, seem to attest the dimi- 

 nution of a part of tliese waters, Lastly, onca abundant 



springs have almost dried up. These remarks have refer- 

 ence principally to valley overhung by mountains, and we 

 believe we have observed that this diminution of the waters 

 has followed closely upon the period at which they began 

 to destroy, without any consideration, the forests which 

 were scattered over the face of the country. 



These facts seem to indicate that wherever these clear- 

 ings have taken place it rains less than formerly. This 

 is in fact an opinion which very generally prevails on 

 this point ; and if we admit it without a more close exa- 

 mination, we should be led at once to draw this conclu. 

 sion, that clearings diminish the annual quantity of rain 

 that falls upon a country. But at the same time thst we 

 have stated the above facts, we have observed that since 

 the clearing of timber from the mountains, the rivers and 

 torrents which appear to have lost a portion of their waters 

 exhibit risings so suddea and extraordinary as to produce 



