THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



447 



for the landlord ought to assist ia every way, as I have 

 always been ready to do myself, in draining any parts the 

 farmer may require. I have gone further, and have taken 

 on my own judgment to drain land of which I boasted so 

 much that some of it was called "forced drainage." Gen- 

 tlemen, as we are on the subject of draining — I may say 

 that since I inherited this property — I was looking the other 

 day, and I believe I have drained above 10,000 acres. 

 However, it has been greatly more on the other side of the 

 county than on this. On this there is more dry land, and 

 better climate, and the demands have not been so great as 

 on the other side. But I have gone not only into draining^ 

 but into reclaiming land altogether. I have had many 

 sympathisers during the progress, and they have said, " Oh, 

 it will not pay ; how can you spend your money in such a 

 foolish thing?" Now, I believe there is not one acre that I 

 have undertaken that has not more than realized the antici- 

 pations I had ; and I can say there is only one difficulty 

 that I got into, which is with a farm in the iron-ore district 

 of this county, where the ii-on ore stopped up the mouth of 

 some of the outfalls ; but that is not more than occurred in the 

 town of Whitehaven, which had some of its pipes slopped 

 in the same way. But I believe that is to be surmounted. 

 It is of no great matter whether it is or no, but I believe 

 that is the only obstacle or difficulty I have ever encoun- 

 tered. There is one great, dismal, dreai'y waste, of which 



the representative of the parish is now here, callcJ SSlmpj 

 which is of great extent, and always abused exceedingly by 

 traveller.'", and there I felt my way, as I had no experience 

 to guide me, There, during the last few years. I have 

 drained and limed somewhere about a thousand acres. This 

 has not been unobserved by my neighbours — for there are 

 great wastes surrounding — and they have agreed to apply to 

 the Inclosure Commissioners and to Parliament for the 

 inclosure of these wastes, which are not less than 20,000 

 acres, and that is now in progress. What I have done I feel 

 happy at, because it is, as I may say, adding so much terri- 

 tory to the country, and making an addition to its agricul- 

 tural wealth, which would otlierwise have lain dormant. 

 Once these 5,000 acres at Shap used to feed 2,000 or 3,000 

 sheep, For the last few years, by putting these 1,000 acres 

 into cultivation, it has fed and put into belter condition than 

 any other pastures in the county fiom 500 to 700 head of 

 cattle. I have no doubt that, instead of these 2,000 or 3,000 

 sheep, in the course of a few years — for I have got into 

 knowing what will remedy it, and having begun on specu- 

 lation I had to feel my way by experiments with different 

 means — I have no doubt in the course of a few years it will 

 feed three bullocks where it only fed the half-starved black- 

 faced sheep which it just kept alive a few years ago.— 

 Lord Lonsdale, at the West Cumberland Meeting. 



THE KENT AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



PROPOSED AMALGAMATION WITH SUSSEX AND SURREY. 



The annual meeting of the Kent County Cattle Show was 

 held at Maidstone on Thursday, Oct. 18 ; Viscount Sydney 

 (Lord- Lieutenant), in the chair ; the Earl of Romney, Sir W. 

 Stirling, Bart,, Col. Scott, Col. Fletcher, Col. Cator, and Messrs. 

 C. G. Whittaker, J. Whatman, J. G. Talbot, C. Whitehead, 

 P. S. Punnett, E. R. Tanner, A. Warde. T. H. Pack, J. Paine, 

 J. Allen, Oakley, F. Stonham, and G. Kennard were also 

 present, 



Col. Cator spoke on the subject of an amalgamation with 

 the Sussex society, and read the following letter from Mr. 

 Rigden, of Hove, Sussex : 



Dear Sir, — The question of an amalgamation of the Kent 

 Agricultural Society with that of Sussex has often been men- 

 tioned at the meetings of our society, and! am quite of opinion 

 that by unitiug the three counties of Kent, Sussex, and Surrey 

 together, a very important show would be the result. 



I have had a good deal of experience in the working of 

 these shows, and I have generally found that at first every- 

 thiog goes on prosperously, but after a few years the interest 

 that was formerly taken in the showgradually fades away, and 

 supporters fall off. It would be of little use for a person in 

 my position to attempt to take any leadiug part in a matter 

 of tliis kind. If a society should be formed combining the 

 three counties I have named, it could not exist long unless it 

 was well supported by the landowners. If they will show that 

 they really feel an interest in it, the tenantry will be ready to 

 do their part. 



So far as this country is coDcerned, we are pledged to hold 

 one more meeting of the county show, which will be at Rye 

 next year. It appears to me that the beat plan would be to 

 get the leadiug men in your county to communicate with the 

 Duke of Richmond and the Earl of Chichester, who are the 

 priacipal supporters of our society ; and if they take a favour- 

 able view of the matter, I think there would be no difficulty. 

 For myself, I should have much pleasure in doing anything 



that would further the object ; but unless we could count 

 upon liberal pecuniary support, it would be better not to at- 

 tempt it. Such a society as proposed should have a consi- 

 derable reserve fund in hand, as there is great uucertainty 

 about the receipts at such meetiuga ; unfavourable weather 

 will upset all calculations. I can speak from experience of 

 our last county meeting at Chichester, when , owing to the 

 rain, the receipts for entering the show-yard were not one- 

 fourth of what might have been fairly expected. 



I think there is generally a feeling in favour of the proposal 

 amongst the members of our society. 



Hove, Sept. 8th, 1860. I remain, yours truly, 



E. Hales, Esq. William Rigden. 



The committee thus report upon the proposition: "The 

 committee have made further inquiries with respect to 

 the subject of amalgamation with the Sussex Agricultural 

 Society, so as to form one large influential and useful associa- 

 tion for the south-eastern counties ; but, although their ad- 

 vances have been received with favour, they are not in a posi- 

 tion to report further on the subject. At the same time they 

 are of opinion that an object of so much importance should 

 not be lost sight of, aud that it will be the duty of the com- 

 mittee to take all necessary steps to place the proposition fairly 

 before the several societies interested." 



In reference to the aid afforded this year by the local to the 

 national society, the committee consider—" The course thus 

 adopted aided materially iu producing a more extensive ex- 

 hibition both of couuty stock and of implements suited to 

 Kentish wants. The field selected for the trial of Kent 

 ploughs was very ill adapted for the purpose, and afforded a 

 very indifferent opportunity for the display of the peculiar 

 merits of that implement ; for this want of judgment your 

 committee were in no way responsible." 



