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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



muscuhir, ami hanly to a dtgrce. On his fust ride of 

 any distance, although the new comer may not be 

 charmed by the manner in which the horse is broken, 

 be is astonished at his power of endurance. The 

 English thorough-bred horse can beat the oriental 

 horse anywhere and everywhere, and in all respects. 

 At the India races, the whole-bred and half-bred Eng- 

 lish horses invariably beat the Arabs. 



In the United Kingdom the sight of a inulo is an 

 exceptional instance ; hut in many countries, such as 

 South America, the Cape Colony, and the United 

 Slates, they are much e-teemed. In Morocco theio is 

 said to be over a million of mules kept. In Peru and 

 Brazil there arc large numljers kept. In the province 

 of Minas as many as -JtJOjOOO are actually emj.loyedj 

 and the annual destruction of these hardy animals there 

 is not le--^s than from 18,000 to ■20,00.». In the United 

 States there were, accordiug'to the last census, 000,000 



asses and mule?. In the Cape Colony there are about 

 4,000 or 5,000, valued at £10 each. 



A large trade was formerly carried on with the 

 Windward and Leeward Islands from the Spanish Main, 

 about 30,000 having been shipped annually from Cen- 

 tral America; but now the' number is scarcely half so 

 great. To Peru at least 50,000 are brought every 

 year from the States of the River Plate, and a great 

 many arc sent to Mauritius. 



Judging from the duty paid by horse-dealers, horse- 

 drivers, and owners of race-horses, the trade in horses 

 is as active as ever, and the j)rice of good animals is 

 fully maintained. Whether Mr. Rarey can accommo- 

 date us with zebras for the saddle or draught, after tlie 

 suggestion of Mr. Punch, remains to be seen ; but any 

 addition to our beasts of pleasure and burden would 

 certainly be acceptable, despite the convenience of rail- 

 ways ibr long journeys. 



LANDLORD, TENANT, AND L A BO U RE R.— TH E DAY AT SILSOE. 



There is a fine connecting line between Landlord, 

 Tenant, and Labourer. So fine indeed is it drawn at 

 times, as to be scarcely perceptible to the naked eye. 

 It would seem to be rather left to the imagination tlian 

 to the more practical of the senses. Of the two, it is 

 quite as often heard as seen. It delights especially in 

 public assemblies; giving a kind of halo to the pro- 

 ceedings, and aflbrding infinite subject to the orator. 

 Of course its origin is traced in high places, while cus- 

 tom has so ordained that it should generally end there. 

 The council wisdom of the best of our agricultural 

 societies humbly offers all the talk to the landlords ; or, 

 if the tenant is brought in, it is just when people have 

 really no time to listen to him. Still, the line is 

 sketched out boldly enough on such occasions, and 

 even if the farmer or his man has little to say for 

 himself, there are plenty to say it for him. As far 

 as "the able address of the noble lord," the " one cheer 

 more," and all that sort of thing go, we really ought 

 to be very well satisfied, 



Still there is a public body, at whose meetings the 

 second-class, at least, do speak for themselves. The 

 London, or, as it has been latterly written, the Central 

 Farmers' Club, has, in fact, earned something of a 

 character for speaking out, Many a little sensation 

 has i'ollowed in other places from what has been said 

 here. Many a landlord has asked his adviser whether 

 what he hears bo merely wild talk, or something more? 

 In a word, the Club has come to rather pride itself on 

 its independent tone, and proumlgation of i)laiu truths. 

 The influence of the scene and place clearly has its 

 effect, and men are known to declare themselves here 

 with fai more confidence than they ever would when 

 at home. It is not too much to add that such an organ 

 was really wanted. Tlie landlord has many a mouth- 

 piece, but tlie tenant scarcely any other so accessible or 

 so useful. 



It may be, as it often has been, a question how the 

 higher powers would regard such an instrument? At 

 one time, no doubt, with evident distrust and dissatis- 

 faction. The progress of the Club, however, has told 

 upon this prejudice. The soundness of the principhs 

 advocated in Bridge-street have generally been main- 

 tained, for the simple reason that they have been well 

 tested ere they were advanced. Proof and Practice are 

 indeed the watchwords of the Society, and we have had 

 a very forcible example of this during only the last 

 week. In the discussion subjects for this year, that for 

 November next, standing in the name of Mr. Trethewy, 



is thus written: ''The Allotment System — its Uses 

 and Abuses." Acting well up to this " Proof and 

 Piactice" motto, the introducer of the question will not 

 rest content with what he can say to liis brother mem- 

 bers; but he prefaces as a prologue to his paper, " Come 

 and see what we are doing." As the resident agent of 

 Lord de Grey's estates in Bedfordshire, Mr. Trethewy 

 invited the more active members of the Club to inspect 

 the system of Labourers' Allotments as practised on 

 that property. 



So far, at any rate, the Club is defining yet more 

 clearly the line of mutual interest between the farmer 

 and labourer. But it has auspiciously been allowed to 

 go further. When Lord de Grey heard that the 

 Farmers' Club was coming to see the Silsoe allot- 

 ments, he at once placed the hospitalities of Wrest 

 at their disposal. They were to drive round in the 

 morning and see the farming and gardening, the 

 tile making, and draining; but they were to finish 

 at the family seat, where the best of entertainment 

 awaited them. M'hether they feasted the eye or 

 the palate — whether they roamed through the beau- 

 tiful grounds, almost unrivalled as they are for good 

 ta>te and good keeping, or sat down in due course to 

 dine in the banquet room — they were alike welcome. 

 The Farmers' Club came especially to see the labourer, 

 and they remumed by as especial invitation the 

 guests of the Lord. We have traced out the line 

 clearly enough at last — Lord de Grey as the landowner 

 — the Club as the farmer — and the labounr as equally 

 the care of either. Could the Agent know a more 

 pleasing office than thus bringing' the three together ? 



The visit was paid on Friday, July 30. Harvest busi- 

 ness r.aturally kept some of the invited at home,and in- 

 disposition, we are sorry to say, one or two more. Mr. 

 Owen, however, as Chairman, and Mr. Corbet, as Secre- 

 tary, officially represented the Club; while the Reverend 

 C. T. James is, by this, almost as directly recognized 

 as its Chaplain. Then the farmers of the county, and 

 at the same limo members of the Club, included such 

 men as Mr. Purser of Willington, Mr. Thomas of 

 Bletsoe, I\Ir. Norman Taylor, and Mr. Charles 

 Howard; while Mr. King came from Berkshire, Mr. 

 Page and Mr. Smith Irom Hertfordshire, Mr. Barwell 

 from Northampton, and Mr. Day from Huntingdon. 

 Mr. Bennett, the agent of another good county land- 

 lord, his Grace the Duke of Bedford, was also present ; 

 and Mr. James Howard stood for the implements of 

 the Farm, and Mr. Edward Purser for its manure 



