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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



LONDON, OR CENTRAL FARMERS' CLUB. 



The introducer of the subject at the Farmers' Club 

 Meeting-, chose for himself, according to his own 

 interpretation, a somewhat difficult and delicate 

 duty. In treating on the public and private trials of 

 implements, Mr. Fisher Hobbs would make no direct 

 reference to anything that was just now passing "else- 

 where;" while Mr. Hobbs himself was in no way to be 

 regarded either as a Field Steward or as an active 

 Member of the Council of the Royal Agricultural 

 Society. He was to be looked upon simply as one of 

 the farmers, endeavouring to ascertain how they might 

 make the system of testing agricultural machinery more 

 efficient and reliable. A very well-considered paper 

 was palpably toned down to this view of the case ; al- 

 though almost every point taken up, or amendment 

 oflfered, went as plainly to the trials of " the Royal," 

 and to the speaker's own experience of them. With a 

 laudable desire not to offend nor to provoke any bit- 

 terness of feeling, the address was still by no means a 

 tame nor unsuggestivc one; and the implement-makers 

 appeared inclined to take it as a very fair exposition 

 of the question. 



And with the implement-makers and Mr. Hobbs the 

 matter almost entirely rested. It is true that some few 

 Judges had forwarded certain recommendations, which 

 •were embodied in the opening essay ; while of these 

 Mr. Shackel spoke with some emphasis and effect. 

 But the spirit of the debate was with Mr. Allen Ran- 

 some, Mr. James Howard, Mr. Crosskill, and Mr, 

 Samuelson. Scarcely, indeed, had Mr. Hobbs sat him 

 down, than the first-named of these manufacturers rose 

 to follow him ; and " the quarrel with the implement- 

 makers" was at once on the carpet. Then it came out 

 that the trials of the implements were not long enough 

 — that the trials of the implements took up too much 

 of the exhibitors' time — that prize implements, unlike 

 Peter Pindar's razors, were not made to sell — that 

 adjourned trials were the only proper tests now 

 to be adopted — that adjourned trials were by far the 

 most grievous mistakes of any — and " that after ten 

 years' experience a farmer would find that a new im- 

 plement had not made a difference— or a benefit — of 

 five shillings a year to him !" In short, " there was 

 nothing like leather." Mr. Crosskill, who had not 

 been generally successful with the reaper at the ad- 

 journed trials, would have no more of them. Mr. Ran- 

 Bome would not object to such tests for new imple- 

 ments, although he might for those of established use, 

 such perhaps as the plough, the steam-engine, and so 

 on. Or, at any rate, let there not be one great first 

 prize ; but let six or seven men who were pretty 

 " equal" be alike commended. Mr. James Howard, 

 however, the now acknowledged author of the pam- 

 phlet against the prize system issued under the aus- 

 pices of the Society of Agricultural Engineers, " agreed 

 with nearly every word that Mr. Hobbs had uttered." 



Or, if he doubted anything in the opening paper, it 

 was the possibility of procuring Judges generally up to 

 that ideal standard Mr, Hobbs had portrayed. Dis- 

 missing, then, the peculiar whims, or " hobbies," as 

 Mr, Ransome calls them, of one or two recusants, this 

 paper on the public and private trials of implements, 

 has so far the rare merits of pleasing both parties. The 

 farmers cheered it, and gave their thanks for it ; and 

 the implement-makers adopted it as the statement of 

 what was required to make these trials — in accordance 

 with the reading of the card — " more efficient." 



The remedy is summed up in two words — time and 

 SEASON. Let the judges have more time to conduct 

 their investigations, and let these be only when the 

 entry is in season — "so that reapers shall cut the corn 

 when the corn is ripe, the plough go to work when the 

 land is in a working condition, and the steam culti- 

 vator and thrashing machine when they are the daily 

 requirements of the farm," There are many minor 

 matters oi detail that the report of the meeting will go 

 to clear up. But these are the points, and the question 

 now is what is next to become of them ? Are the dif- 

 ferences between two great interests — for into this the 

 matter really resolves itself — to be settled, or rather to 

 be still left unsettled, after just talking them over ? Or, 

 cannot something more be done? At the meeting 

 Mr, Shackel " thought the best course under the 

 circumstances was to form a committee in which the 

 Society and implement makers could be represented, 

 with a view to a proper settlement of the dispute. 

 He would fearlessly assert there were gentlemen repre- 

 senting the Royal Agricultural Society, who knew 

 no more of ploughing, reaping, or sowing than one of 

 his cart-horses. In this case there should be practical 

 men to meet practical men. Farmers and implement- 

 makers should meet together in consultation," Mr. 

 Shackel spoke as a farmer, and Mr. Samuelson, who 

 followed him, of course as an implement-maker. The 

 latter also " thought if, instead of gentlemen whose 

 knowledge of the subject was very slight being ap- 

 pointed by the committee of the Royal Agricultural 

 and other Societies to fix the conditions of the trials, the 

 matter were entrusted to practical men who thoroughly 

 understood what they ought to do, there would be no 

 difficulty in bringing about an agreement between the 

 Society and those who competed for their prizes." 

 This is a strong recommendation, backed as it is by 

 both sides of the House, while we are happy to add 

 that it has already been acted upon. The Imple- 

 ment Committee of the Royal Agricultural Society 

 was thus constituted — Colonel Challoner (chairman) ; 

 Lord Portman; The Right Hon, the Speaker; 

 Hon, W. G. Cavendish, M.P. ; Sir J. V. Shelley, 

 Bart,, M.P. ; Sir Wm. Miles, Bart., M.P.; Charles 

 Barnett; Humphrey Brandreth ; H. B, Cald- 

 well; B. T. Brandreth Gibbs; Anthony Hamond; 



