190 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



THE AFTER BUSINESS OF THE CHESTER SHOW. 



With the bustle of the great gatheriii? quite over- 

 having partially recovered from the excitement of the 

 scene — wo sit down to more calmly reflect on all we 

 have seen and heard. The Council of the Society do 

 as a body precisely as any general visitor might with 

 one or two friends — they have another hour or so to 

 talk it all over. And they talk and think much in the 

 same way as might cnnmon mortals. In the first 

 place they had to assure the absentees how well every- 

 thing went off at Chester, what a meeting they Jiad 

 missed, how they should have been there, and so on. 

 And those who were not there came straightly to explain 

 why they were not. The fixture was a week or a fort- 

 night too late. Harvest, in a word, was just on, and at 

 80 important a crisis it was quite impossible to leave 

 home. We hear this excuse on all sides. The Meeting 

 must be earlier in the summer. The practical men on 

 the Council, farmers who have themselves harvest 

 work to attend to, at once admit the justice of the 

 complaint; and JNIr. Jonas Webb, speaking in their 

 name, has directly referred to the inconvenient sea- 

 son at which the national show had been held. The 

 first rather than the last week in July would be much 

 more suitable, and we are not quite sure but that the 

 members generally should be polled on the question : — 

 " You will oblige the Council by stating which you 

 think would be the best week for holding the annual 

 exhibition of stock and implements." 



There was a matter, however, of yet more passing in- 

 terest attached to the proceedings of this same Council 

 Meeting. It was the same which had signalized the 

 show week it*elf. What would be the result of the 

 steam plough trials ? Much to t'.ieir credit, the judges 

 had an ample report prepared in time for the meetinr:-. 

 They have embodied \\ii\i the decision their reasons for 

 aiTiving at it. This appears iu full in another column, 

 and the Council have adopted all thus advised. Ru- 

 mour as usual was very busy in the show-yard — The 

 Society would not even now recommend tlic use of a 

 steam cultivator outright — It would, however, by way of 

 encouragement, give a few humlred pounds to one man, 

 and perhaps a medal to another. But it has gone far be- 

 yond this. The judges declare that, " From the results 

 of the trials intrusted to our decision, and conducttd 

 throughout under our immediate supervision, it is be- 

 yond question that Mr. Fowler's machine is able to 

 turn over the soil in an efficient manner, at a saving, 

 as compared with horse labour, of on light land 2^ to 

 25 per cent. ; on heavy land, 2o to 30 per cent. ; and in 

 trenching, 80 to 85 per cent. ; while the soil iu all 

 cases is left in a far more desirable condition and bet- 

 ter adapted for all the purjjoses of Iiusbandry. We ai'e 

 therefore unanimously of opinion that he is fully en- 

 titled to the prize of ,£'500, and we now give our award 

 accordingly." 



And the secretary is at once instructed to communicate 



this to Mr. Fowler. At the same time, it is only . 

 justice to add, that he is also directed to address the 

 Messrs. Howard, of Bedford, on the performance of 

 Smith's implement. Of this the Judges say — " The 

 results of the trials of Messrs. Howard's machine also 

 prove that the soil can be inverted in an efficient man- 

 ner, and at a less cost than by horse or manual labour. 

 We think, therefore, that some acknowledgment of the 

 merits of their machiue is due from the Society, and 

 we beg to j'ecommend for the consideration of the 

 Council- that a large gold medal of honour be presented 

 to Messrs. Howard, ' for the practical introduction of 

 Smith's application of steam power to facilitate au- 

 tumnal cultivation, now generally admitted to be de- 

 sirable on all descriptions of soils.' The Council will 

 be gratified to learn that already twenty-three of these 

 machines have been sent out by the manufacturers, and 

 that twenty of them are being successfully worked by 

 tenant farmers." 



Never, indeed, was there such a desire evinced to bring 

 anything into fashion. The judges' report is written 

 in a style remarkable for the encouragement it would 

 give, and the consideration it would make for any 

 failure which came under their notice. Still, it is evi- 

 dent that so far as this year of 'fifty-eight goes, there 

 are only two implements that in public trial have in any 

 .way realized the object aimed at. Either of these has 

 accomplished much, and their use is now hardly 

 more than a question of expense. Mr. Fowler, indeed, 

 has little further to contend with. Ilis work, as we 

 have said over and over again, is excellent, and the 

 only point is how far the farmer will be justified 

 in making the necessary outlay. To it, though, in 

 some shape or other, he must come. " By the aid 

 of such machinery" — we are quoting the judicial 

 decree — " we can carry out a complete system of au- 

 tumnal cultivation now so generally admitted to be 

 desirable, but which it is extremely difficult to effect 

 with the ordinary force of a farm, in ordinary seasons, 

 and under ordinary circumstances. We can continue 

 our cultivation by ploughing or otherwise, well-nigh 

 regardless of weather, and upon land which would not 

 submit to the pressure of horse labour. We have por- 

 fect control over the work we wish to have done ; and 

 when it is done, it is found to bo more regular through- 

 out, and to be iu a more open and desirable condition 

 than could be obtained by the best and most judicious 

 application of the ordinary implements of a farm. These 

 are points which we cannot too strongly recommend to 

 the attention of those interested in the advancement of 

 agriiulture." 



It is significant to see how the same feature appears 

 again and again on the agenda of this monthly meeting 

 of Council. A little further on Mr. J. A. Williams 

 sends the Society copies of his work on Steam Cultiva- 

 tion— a sensible Essay on preparing the land for the use 



