THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



529 



that measure has beea done ? Why, everything that can be 

 done to replace the British beverage of malt and hops by 

 French wines, I hope and trust, and believe, that such is the 

 character of Englishmen, that they will not be led into that 

 error, however much the Chancellor of the Exchequer may de- 

 sire it ; and he has put down as iucreased revenue from that 

 source a large item. He has done all that he can to introduce 

 foreign wine into this country, and every glass that is drunk 

 must diminish the consumption of malt and hops, and is not 

 for the beneBt of the farmers ; and the law has been altered 

 by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in order to tempt Eng- 

 lishmen to drink French wines instead of the national 

 beverage. 



After referring to the Treaty as it affected other interests 

 he said : I have no wish to speak on politics, but as a farmer, 

 and a man endeavouring to make the best I can by the man- 

 agement of my farm and by agriculture, I will speak out as a 

 farmer, however we may be galled. We should do all that we 

 can to push forward agriculture : but, after all, we ought to 

 look at the main chance, and see, when all has been done that 

 is possible to improve our position, if we can have a fair re- 

 turn. I do not know what the population will be found to be 

 next April, but at the last census the agricultural classes more 

 than doubled any other class in the community, and I say 

 they have a right to have their interests attended to. I have 

 done with the farmer now; let us come to the grazier. He 

 has equally suffered with the agriculturist by the importation 

 of foreign cattle into this country. Have not these men suf- 

 fered by the importation of poorish cattle, which, if they have 

 not died on their hands with the disease — which an Esses 

 agriculturist very facetiously called " the Peel disease " — at 

 least, have gone back several months, so that instead of being 

 fit for market at the time they calculated upon, they were, by 

 being in a poorish condition, a serious loss to them ? Although 

 these animals did not die, they became deteriorated. But 

 that has not been the only loss, for graziers have reason to 

 complain that diseases not formerly known have been intro- 

 duced by the importation of foreign cattle through the opera- 

 tions of Free Trade. Many have been taken in, in that man- 

 ner ; not that the persons who sold the cattle knew them to be 

 diseased; but a man went into the market, and he bought a 

 number of foreign sheep or cattle, on which he thought he 

 could soon make a profit, and he took them and put them 

 among his own flock or herd, and thus communicated disease 

 to them. I have lost enormous quantities of lambs within forty 

 hours of their birth from this cause ; and also sheep from rot 

 and foot disease; and you all know whatmany have suffered from 

 the loss of sheep. Now, as most farmers are not only agricultur- 

 ists, but also graziers, because the one is so intimately blended 

 with the other that you can't well separate them, much mischief 

 has been done in that way, and the British farmer has suffered 

 83 well from loss in cattle as from the depreciation in the 

 price of corn. Everyone knows that for the last two years, 

 1858 and 1859, there were not such low prices current since 

 1790. I would not say anything about it, however, if they 

 did not crow over us ; but they have no reason to crow ever 

 us, as we are not so extremely prosperous and puffed up with 

 high prices. In previous years we have been more prosper- 

 ous. I have paid a great deal of attention to this subject, 

 and although I do not mean to trench upon party politics, I 

 do wish to speak on those matters that affect the well-being 

 and welfare of the farmers. 



AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION, 

 At the LouoHBORouoH Meeting, 

 Mr. Heerick said : We may now congratulate ourselves 



that we have established ftn agricultural school in this town 

 that will be uf importance to the community at largo. We 

 had some difficulty in getting a schoolmaster, but when it 

 was known that he would not have any duties to discharge 

 in the school except those in connexion with agriculture 

 those difficulties vanished, and we got Mr. Scott, who comes 

 highly recommended by the institution in Edinburgh, and 

 who will carry out our instructions in every respect. We 

 can't expect too much at once ; but to the farmers in the 

 neighbourhood it must be of importance when by payment 

 of ±' t a-year they may provide a theoretical and general 

 education for their sons as agriculturists, and this great 

 advantage will be heightened when it is known that this 

 school is not confined to boys coming from the district, but 

 to boys from all parts of tho kingdom, and I have no doubt 

 that in tho course of lime numbers will flock to it for in- 

 struction, and thus make the school prosperous and import- 

 ant. A farmer's life, especially at this season, is one of 

 great anxiety and difficulty. He has very much to do : and 

 it may be truly said of liim that he earns his bread by the 

 sweat of his brow, for ho has enough to do to keep down 

 the weeds and thistles that spring up. But farmers are 

 advancing; they are men of progi-ess and education, and 

 now that it has been shown that science has come to their 

 aid, they are willing that their children should receive ao 

 education which would fit them to take advantage of those 

 aids science affords. I have no doubt, therefore, that the 

 future generation will make as much progress in the science 

 of agriculture as the present generation has done. 



Mr. S, B. Wild (vice president), said, the addition that 

 has been made to the school of this place for the especial 

 advantage of the fanners of the neighbourhood, and not 

 only so, but of the agricultural classes generally, is, in the 

 first instance, an emanation from the intelligent committee 

 of this society. It had been for years mooted in the com- 

 mittee that a school for scientific knowledge, with regard 

 to the cultivation of the soil, was most desirable, and some 

 attempts were made, but we were at a loss how to supply 

 that deficiency ; but when my excellent friend, Mr. Herrick 

 stepped in with his energetic and practical mind, and with 

 his purse also, we were enabled to accomplish the object 

 we so earnestly desired. We do not profess in this branch 

 of instruction to accomplish miracles ; but we do profess 

 to learn the first principles of that science which is so in- 

 timately connected with the cultivation of land. We want 

 the A B C of our learning, before we make further advance, 

 and we can't proceed to the more advanced studies, as it has 

 been well said, until v/e liave acquired that elementary in» 

 struction. After learning to read and write, and acquiring 

 a knowledge of arithmetic and the liislory of England, we 

 have, as farmers, to learn the history of the earth— to learn 

 the elements of which it is composed, and with which we ^ 

 have every day to do. We do not profess fo attain to that 

 knowledge by a jump, but we do by that regular progi-ess 

 by which every attainment is accomplished, by begmning 

 with the elements of knowledge. We do not propose to 

 supersede practice, which is so essential to the agriculturist, 

 and bring in science. No, science is the handmaid of prac- 

 tice, and may be able, perhaps, to inform her mistress 

 jently (for the misti-ess must be reprqj-ed gently by the 

 maid) of her faults. We accomplish that object by steadily 

 supporting that branch of instruction now connected with 

 the school. Why do practical men fail, I ask, in the 

 management of farms 7 We know not why, and it is then 

 for science to step in and tell us why. It is not, as I said» 

 to substitute science for practice, but to add to the advan- 

 tages of experience the knowledge that science supplies 



