136 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



The biddings having ceased, the company left the sale ring 

 at the invitation of Mr. Webb, and adjourned to dinner, which 

 was laid out in a style of liberal hospitality, in a large mar- 

 quee at the back of the house. The Earl of Hardwicke occu- 

 pied the chair, appearing in the capacity of president for the 

 first time since 1853 or 1854; and his lordship discharged the 

 duties of his position with the readiness and fluency which has 

 generally characterised the members of the York faniily from 

 the founder of the house downwards. The noble lord was 

 supported by Mr. C. Baruett, M. Mallet, of Paris, Major 

 Huddlestone, Sir T. B. Lennard, Mr, Eastnor, Mr. G. Nor- 

 man, Mr. R. Houslon, Mr. \V. T. Copeland, Mr. W. Hurrell, 

 Mr. S. Joup.3, &c. Three tables extended down the tent, and 

 at the extreme cud might be descried the goodly form of the 

 worthy host, in the vice-chair, Mr, Iligden as usual occupying 

 a seat on his right. 



The CuAiKMAN, in giving the usual introductory toasts, 

 expressed his satisfaction at the improved tone which was now 

 observable in public feeling with regard to the national de- 

 fences. The noble lord also referred to the volunteer move- 

 ment, which, he argued, must be left to develop itself natu- 

 turaliy without undue excitement, while he deprecated arming 

 the working clasaes, of whose intelligence and respectability 

 he spoke in high terms, just as the franchise was now refused 

 to the million. 



Mr. Webb proposed the health of the chairman in his 

 double capacity of president of the meeting, and Lord Lieute- 

 nant of the County. If proof were wanted of a good un- 

 derstanding between landlord and tenant, it would be found in 

 the fact that Lord Hardwicke had attended the meeting at 

 much personal inconvenience, thus placing him (Mr. Webb) 

 under a stdl deeper obligation to him. The name of Hard- 

 wicke was too well known, not only in the county of Cambridge, 

 but throughout the country, to require any eulogy ; and he 

 (Mr. Webb) might mention that a fourth generation of his 

 family was now living on the Hardwicke estates, a fact which 

 spoke well for all parties (Hear, hear). Meetings like the pre- 

 sent, which tended to bring together landlords and tenants, 

 were of great benefit to the latter, because if they had not good 

 landlords, the land of the country would be scarcely worth cul- 

 tivating. In the last few years farmers had been compelled to 

 grow wheat at extremely low rates, and had they not obtained 

 of late a better price for their meat, the times would have been 

 very hard for them. He was rather astonished to find that a 

 good many consumers had come to the conclusion not to eat 

 any more butcher's meat till the price was reduced to 7d. per 

 pound. This was a monstrous thing, because the farmers had 

 had to go through an eight months' winter, which, commenc- 

 ing in October, destroyed the root crop by wholesale, and 

 caused stock to be kept at an enormous expense and serious 

 loss. For people under these circumstances to say that 

 they ought not to pay more than 7d. per pound for meat was 

 reall}', he thought, perfect nonsense (Hear, hear). 



The Chairman in responding said : In England, whatever 

 might be our professions, we were all volunteers, and he 

 was that day a volunteer iu the service of Mr. Webb, 

 who had rendered his annual meeting a positive " institution," 

 not only to every Englishman, Scotchman, Irishman, and 

 Welshman, but also to the agricultural interest of Europe and 

 America (cheers.) The noble lord, after a short interval, pro- 

 ceeded to propose " the health of Mr. Webb." describing it as 

 the toast of the evening. He remembered hearing a story of 

 a gentleman who visited England from America, and who on 

 his return to that great country was asked what he had seen 

 in the old country. " Well," he said, " I saw the Archbishop 

 of Canterbury." " What else ?" " Mr. Webb's tups" (laugh- 

 ter). The gentleman had seen everything else in this country 

 —its edifices, its institutions, its army, its navy, and its manu- 

 factures ; but what struck him most after the Archbishop of 

 Canterbury was Mr. "Webb's flock. This was a greater 

 eulogy upon the man whose exertion had produced such a 

 result than any remarks which he (Lord Hardwicke) could 

 make upon the subject (laughter and cheers). That Mr. 

 Webb's flock had been extremely useful to the agriculturists of 

 the world admitted of no doubt ; and he trusted that Mr. 

 Webb would be enabled by the profits he made to continue the 

 process which had been attended with such valuable results. 

 The amount realized on the sale-day might seem considerable; 

 but if any gentleman conversant with the afl'aira of agriculture 

 cgnsidered the expense, anxiety, and constant labour Rttencling 



the feeding and rearing of the rams, independent of the occa- 

 sional loss of animals, he would not say that the profits were 

 too large. From what he had observed, although he did not 

 consider himself a very high authority in such matters, he be- 

 lieved that Mr. Webb's sheep exhibited a progressive improve- 

 ment. The ingenious contrivances formerly practised in regard 

 to the clipping of the wool no longer continued ; for if anybody 

 would measure with his fingers the sides and backs of the 

 sheep, he would find that wool had now nothing to do with 

 their shape. Mr. Webb, by his tenderness, his ingenuity, and 

 the care with which he crossed his breeds, produced animals 

 of the highest class. There was no sort of deception in the 

 manner in which the wool was clipped ; and the step thus 

 gained in the improvement of the animals was of the highest 

 importance, because it did away with any false ideas in regard 

 to their condition and character (Hear, hear.) 



Mr, Webb, in reply, confined himself to a simple expression 

 of his thanks. 



The Chairman called attention to the presence of several 

 French gentlemen who took a deep interest in the science of 

 agriculture, and who had come over for the purpose of observ- 

 ing the proceedings of their neighbours across the water. The 

 noble lord briefly alluded to the recent visit of the Orph^onistes, 

 and observed that he felt sure that he only stated the feeling 

 which prevailed in the breast of everyone, when he said that 

 we were most happy to see Frenchmen in England, whether 

 they came as agriculturists, commercial men, or as friends 

 (cheers.) 



M. Mallet, who spoke English with considerable fluency, 

 was loudly cheered on rising to respond. M. Mallet observed 

 that he was greatly moved by what Lord Hardwicke had said. 

 What he had seen of England and English habits, manners, 

 and mstitutions, deserved desp admiration and sincere sym- 

 pathy. He was but slightly connected with agriculture ; in 

 fact, he was but a volunteer in the pursuit, but volunteers were 

 the order of the day (cheers). He heard it said very often, 

 that any new step in the improvement of iastruments of war- 

 fare and international destruction tended greatly to the main- 

 tenance of peace; it might be true, but he could not help 

 thinking that any improvement in agriculture and the arts of 

 peace would do a great deal more in that direction. Compa- 

 risons were invidious, and he ought not perhaps to mention 

 names ; but he could not help thinking that such iwstruments 

 as Horasby's, Garrett's, and other makers whose productions 

 were imported into foreign lands, would do a great deal more 

 to create a good feeling among nations than any instrument 

 of war (cheers). Personal intercourse would do a great deal 

 more atilK He had no doubt that if his friends over the water 

 were witnesses of such a convivial meeting as the pre- 

 sent, and could see the good feeling among all classes of Eng- 

 lish agriculturists, they^ would be greatly stimulated in their 

 future endeavours. New laws might be established, tariffs 

 might be changed, things might come to pass which would 

 difl'er greatly from those which prevailed in former times ; and 

 he trusted that there would be increased intercourse between 

 the people of various countries, and that every day they would 

 feel less opposed to each other. He granted that people must 

 be masters at home, that Englishmen must provide against any 

 emergency, and that they were quite justified in doing all they 

 could to consolidate the wooden walls of Old England (cheers). 

 He could not find fault with that; it was the right of self- 

 defence, and it was a striking feature in the British character 

 that Englishmen had maintained that right through thick and 

 thin (cheers). In conclusion, M. Mallet observed that he had 

 had sufficient experience of Euglishmen to know that they 

 were exceedingly hospitable and kind ; " and," he exclaimed 

 in conclusion, " I drink their healths with all my heart" (loud 

 cheers). 



The Chairman gave the " Health of the hirer of the 

 highest-priced tup, Mr. J. C. Taylor, of the United States" 

 (applause). 



M. Mallet again rose, and said that he esteemed it a pri- 

 vilege to be permitted to toast the Royal Agricultural Society 

 of England. He did not mean to enter into all the details of 

 that institution, with which those present were much more 

 familiar than himself; but he regarded the Society as a union 

 representing that great agricultural interest of England, of 

 which Englishmen had so many reasons to be proud, and with 

 which everybody who came over to see what was going on 

 iu EDglaQd must be astonished. He did not know how the 



