THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



207 



selves aad others, they cannot fiud some beverage which would 

 refresh without injury — which would cheer without intoxi- 

 catiiig. But what are we to siiy to the workinff man, who 

 coiiaiders his hecr a uecasaary of life? We have already 

 shown its inability to support under bodily labour, iuasuiuch 

 as it only contains the merest fraction of flesh-forming mate- 

 rial ; and exhaustion of body implies disintegratiou of mate- 

 rial. This waste, therefore, we repeat, is only to be repaired 

 by food and rest ; if you are tliirsty, slake your thirst by 

 drinking water, or, if you prefer it, tea or coffee; if at first you 

 do not like it, j^radually accustom jourself to it : this is every- 

 thing. I am quite aware of the superior cheerin;; and enlivening 

 effects of spirituous liqiiora ; but I cauuot slutt my eyes to the 

 great exhaustion it leaves behind, unless followed by a repeti- 

 tion of the dose — ti) its injurious effects upou tlie constitution 

 — and to the danger of its seductive influence. I say, there- 

 fore, that if faria labourers were allowed the value of their 

 harvest malt in meat, and let their beverage be tea or coffee, 

 the good effects would soon be manifest; they would then 

 work from real stamina, not from excitement — their exertions 

 would be regulated by their strength— thty would be much 

 more hardy and enduring — they would gradually lose their 

 taste for intoxicating liquors, and be brought to see that they 

 were quite dispensable, as many are now obliged to dispense 

 with them from necessity, but being customary, thsy still feel 

 a hankering desire ; and they might thus be induced to cele- 

 brate their harvest-home — the ingathering of the precious 

 fruits of the earth — in some way less sinful and degrading. 



less ruinous to their soul, person, and purse, and more advan- 

 tageous and elevating to their physical, moral, and intellectual 

 powers. 



And now, after these considerations, we can hardly reflect 

 upon the groat consumption of malt — the immense number of 

 hands employed in brewing and distillation — and call it an 

 omen of British progress : we cannot look upon our immense 

 number of public-liouse^, frequented by persons of both pexes, 

 of all ages, and of all grades, fur no other purpose than to 

 spend their money to gratify sensual and unprofitable plea- 

 sures, aud incurring the risk of confirmed habits of intempe- 

 rance, without the slightest benefit being gained — we say, we 

 cannot reflect on this without regarding it as derogatory to 

 Kiigland's greatness. Consumers of spirits, therefore, even 

 to a moderate exter.t, should never forget the effects of their 

 exaiajde on the young, and the evils entniled by the practice. 

 A!id when eelfintcr^jst prompts the master to go amongst his 

 men with the bottle in his hand, he should never forget the 

 power of the article he ii dealing with, the evil dejire he is 

 cherishing iu the men, and the sad result it leads to. I have 

 often been sony to see human nature so degraded, men so 

 influenced and euchanted by a soul-ruining and body-destroy- 

 ing poison, as to do almost anything for " a glass of gin aud 

 beer." I should be gratified to see their ideas raised higher 

 than this — to see them set a greater value upon their all — 

 their labour. I remain. Sir, yours obediently, 



Wm. Arnott 



July 29, 1853. 



ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ENGLAND. 



MEETING AT CHESTER, 



REPORT ON THE LIVE STOCK. 

 We find that the prizes awarded amount to no less 

 than £2,350; of which the handsome sum of £930 

 was ofTered by the Chester Local Committee. Last 

 year the total was only £l,G20, £120 being furnished 

 by the local committee. The present prizes are thus 

 distributed : — 



By the 



Society. 



. £555 



310 



360 



80 



115 



Cattle 

 Horses 

 Sheep 

 Pigs . 

 Poultry 



Local. 



£400 



260 



260 



10 







Total. 



£955 



570 



620 



90 



115 



£1,420 £930 £2,350 



In addition to these, there are also the Special Prizes 

 of the Local Committee for Cheese, to Dairymaids and 

 Cheese-makers, and for Butter. 



The division of classes is different to that at Salisbury. 

 We have the usual " Shorthorns," " Herefords," " De- 

 vons," and " Other Established Breeds"; but "Cattle 

 best adapted for Dairy Purposes," and " Welsh Breeds," 

 take the place of the Channel Islands cattle. There 

 are the customary " Agricultural Horses," " Dray 

 Horses," and " Other Horses" ; but this year it is stipu- 

 lated that the " Special" prize stallions must have 

 served, or shall serve, for at least one season, in the 

 county of Salop, Stafford, or Cheshire, or in North 

 Wales; that is, within the "district" of the Meeting. 

 In the sheep classes, the " Leicesters," " South- 

 downs," " Long- Wools," and " Short- Wools" are in 

 their accustomed places; but there are also Special 

 Cla.'ses of " Welsh Mountain Sheep," " Shropshire 

 Downs," and " Cheviots," instead of the " Hamp- 



shire Downs" of last year. In poultry tliere are 

 sixteen instead of twenty-four classes. 



We may note, also, that a member's " entry fee" of 

 five shillings has been levied on each certificate for 

 cattle, horses, sheep, and i)igs; the half-crown for 

 poultry remaining as before. Non-members pay fifteen 

 instead of ten shillings on each live-stock certificate, 

 and five shillings for poultry, as heretofore. 



CATTLE. 



The progressive numbers in the Cattle classes are as 

 follows : 



Here, then, we see that the Show is one-third larger 

 than the average, and one-fifth over last year ; and, 

 looking at the different breeds, we observe the increase 

 to be due to the Shorthorns, Herefords, " other breeds," 

 and the local classes ; the Devons, so far from home, 

 being very thinly represented. 



