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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



the time a loss may seem to be sustained ; Imt before the lamen- 

 tations called forth by it have ceased, the loss is changed into a 

 profit. For instance, a shott time ago America waa our largest 

 customer for breeding stock. She bought up for home purposes 

 the best that we produced, sparing no expense in the prosecu- 

 tion of her object. What was the consequence? Did it 

 finally impoverish England ? No. The stock we sent out 

 came back to us improved and superior to what we had before. 

 I will give you a particular case — that of our horses. They 

 took away some of our best animals; aud now I believe that, 

 for reasons I will presently mention, they beat us in their 

 horses. (No.) They manage things in this respect on more 

 intelligent principles. I can speak on this subject at least 

 with some degree of confidence, because, though I am ashamed 

 to confess that my acquaintance with Southdowns and 

 Cotswolds, Herefords and Devons is very much more limited 

 than it ought to be, I do know something about horses. 

 When I see a fine beast, a cow or a sheep, I naturally admire 

 it, but want the skill to discover its peculiar points ; but of 

 horses I think I may give a critical opinion with tolerable 

 safety. Well, then, I can assure you that in consequence of 

 our short courses, the English breed has degenerated. 

 We no more get animals that will go a long distance ; whereas 

 America sends us horses sixteen hands high, useful and strong, 

 with great staying powers. This is just the sort we want ; 

 not a horse that is done up after running a mile or two, but 

 one capable of lasting and being fit to work (which at present 

 most of our English breed are not) after it is two or three 

 years old. But America has only improved upon us by 

 means of that free competition into which we entered with all 

 the world ; and this instance will show you how beneficial 

 such a competition is. (Hear.) As for the show of this week, 

 I think nothing can be better than the display of agricultural 

 implements, aud of cattle generally; bat the horses are 

 mostly a poor lot. I wonder why it is that this country 

 always sends such an indifferent collection of horses to these 

 shows— animals that no real judge would care to look at twice. 

 I cannot account for it in any other way than by supposing 

 that the risk of the journey, and the great loss that must 

 follow any accident with horses, make people shy of sending 

 them a long distance. They cannot, like cattle, be sent to the 

 butchers in case of a mishap ; and this, no doubt, hinders 

 many who would otherwise be exbibiters. I certainly very 

 much regret this, aud wish that in some way or other the diflS- 

 culty could be surmounted. For the lif^; of me, I cannot un- 

 derstand why there should be capital shows of horses in 

 Flanders and France, as I have seen there, and such poor ones 

 in England. It is not that we are without the right sort of 

 animal ; only we fail to induce the exhibition of them. I fear 

 I have intruded ou your time already too much. A word 

 about the society to which you are now invited to drink 

 success : I am ashamed to own that till recently I did not be- 

 long to it ; but I hope to make up for this my deficiency by 

 taking every pains in future years for the promotion of its 

 success and welfare. I also hope that we in Kent shall all 

 derive good from its visit to our county. Kent was once 

 called " the garden of England." It was a cultivated and 

 productive spot when lands, since reclaimed and now its rivals 

 in fertility, lay waste and desolate. Her old and natural su- 

 periority she no longer possesses ; it is time, therefore, for her 

 to bestir herself, lest she be outstripped in the race of agri- 

 cultural improvement. In the hope that the visit of the 

 society will prove of lasting advantage to our county, I have 

 tried to forward the undertaking to the utmost of my power ; 

 and I believe that the result will justify my anticipations. 

 Although it may be true that in a pecuniary point of view the 

 society's meeting here will not be so successful as those it has 

 held elsewhere, I hope that in other respects it will have no 

 reason to regret its decision to favour Canterbury with its 

 presence. The natural position of our county prevents that 

 great number of visitors attending the show that might be ex- 

 pected when it is held in districts more central, and that have 

 larger populations. I hope, however, that as the receipts of 

 the society last year were unprecedentedly great, the council 

 will amalgamate them with this year, and strike an average of 

 the two. I also hope that the next meeting may surpass, in 

 every respect, any one that has gone before it. I hope that 

 the society will continue to flourish, and maintain, in unabated 

 vigour, its useful existence ; that it may foster and encourage 

 the inventive brain, and the skilled intellect, until the limits— 



if there be any— which improvement may not pass have been 

 reached ; and that it may still be a stimulus to the discovery 

 of whatever can promote the great cause of agricultural pro- 

 gress. With these feelings, in which I am convinced you all 

 heartily join, I beg to propose the toast of "Success to the 

 Royal Agricultural Society of England." 



Lord Nelson gave "The President." 



The Chairman in reply said :— Gentlemen, I believe the 

 Show this year to be a very excellent one. There are a 

 great variety of implements, and with respect to the 

 animals, I must especially mention the Shorthorns and 

 Hereforda. I do not think they have been ever surpassed. 

 The sheep are as good, but not better thau those exhibited 

 in former years. I cannot quite chime in with my noble 

 friend (the Earl of Winchilsea) ; but I did see one or 

 two pens of very lean sheep indeed. (Laughter). I thought, 

 in fact, that something serious was the matter with them. 

 (Laughter). No doubt some animals are too fat; but I 

 prefer a fat beast to a lean one. I don't want to see the 

 augular points too clearly. The horses were not so good as 

 they ought to be ; some of them were in fact very moderate 

 animals, but there are some excellent specimens of the Suf- 

 folk cart-horse. I don't like to see too much hair on the heel 

 of a cart-horse, aud I like them to step quick. The nags were 

 nothing very superior. But taking the Show altogether, I 

 have not had any occasion to believe that the Society is re- 

 ceding in usefulness ; on the contrary, I think it is doing 

 as much good as ever. The Society lias visited every dis- 

 trict in England, and it is now going over the ground again, 

 taking care however, though returning to the same district, 

 not to go to the same town or locality. We are told the popu- 

 lation of this district is not large. Some persons of your own 

 county went so far as to say, that the farmers of Kent were 

 not very much advanced in agriculture. (Oh ! and laughter). 

 Well, they were of your own county ; but I do not say that 

 I by any means agreed with them. That would be a poor 

 return, on my part, for the hospitable reception the Society 

 has met with in Kent. I am only telling you what I was 

 told ; I hope that by doing so I have not left any unpleasant 

 impression on j'our minds. That opinion was given me by 

 persons of some importance; but T think that perhaps they 

 did not come from the neighbourhood of Canterbury. Though 

 Kentish men, perhaps they were not men of Kent (great 

 applause) --not perfectly identified with the feelings and views 

 of the county. I was not aware of the difference between a 

 Kentish man and a man of Kent before I came here ; but I 

 find there is a broad distinction. However, were the state- 

 ments I told you true, it would tfe a reason for us to come 

 instead of being one that should make us keep 

 away. Our object is to excite an interest in the 

 cause of agricultural progress ; to wake up the 

 farmers to a sense of the importance of the subject. 

 We are glad to bring to 30U, who live in what has been 

 called a corner of England, all the latest impi'ovemenls in 

 the art of agriculture; not expecting or desiring you to 

 adopt ihem without thought, but in the h ]i3 that you will 

 give them your calm aud deliberate ci ic'leration, and 

 decide whether it be worth your while to ai \)t them or not. 

 I am quite sure that many of them are most excellent 

 improvements, some suitable to one part of England, some 

 to another. For instance, I cannot own to much admiration 

 of your Eomuey Marsh sheep, but I am quite ready to admit 

 that they may be best suited to the climate and peculiar 

 nature of your marsh land. It is very likely that South- 

 downs would get ou poorly where Eomney Marsh breeds 

 would prosper; but yet it may be worth while for you to 

 reflect if your sheep are not capable of improvement. 

 Again, your system of ploughing is altogether singular; 

 and, if I may venture to say it, so is the shape of your 

 plough (laughter.) No doubt if the Society had merelj 

 studied how they might malic the most money, districts 

 ipore favourable than East Kent could have been easily 

 selected ; but I am sure that such a narrow view would be 

 altogether foreign to the purpose and object of the society. 

 Of course, after a meeting at such a place as Warwick, 

 centrally situated, and neat large towns, the number of 

 visitors, when we come to Canterbury, will be sure to fall 

 off. But I think we have no reason to regret our selection. 

 It will have given us an opportunity of introducing to this 

 district all the most important, as well as the most trifling, 



