THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



507 



sufficient ; and the farmer, of course, took care not to 

 let it be augmented beyond what was required for the 

 necessities of the family. But where the labourers' 

 cottages were situated in a village some distance from 

 the farm, it rested solely with the proprietor of the soil 

 to provide land for the convenience of those who had 

 not a sufficient quantity attached to their dwellings. lie 

 happened to receive rent from about 70 labouring 

 tenants ; the rent charged had never exceeded Gd. a pole, 

 the land being close to the village, some of the best 

 land in the district, and being exempt from poor-rates 

 and all other charges. The rents were paid regularly 

 and cheerfully ; he did not remember a single defaulter. 

 Speaking generally, he might say that the object of all 



present was, he presumed, to make the cottage-home a 

 scene of happiness, comfort, and contentment, and to 

 give labourers an interest in their abodes ; ai.d he believed 

 the labourer felt as much pleasure in walking up and 

 down his allotment as they felt in walking round their 

 farms (cheers). 



Mr. Trktheavv having briefly replied, on the motion 

 cf Mr. Little, seconded by Mr. Bennett, thanks were 

 voted to him for the able manner in which he introduced 

 the subject. 



On the motion of Mr. J. A. Williams, thanks were 

 also accorded to the Chairman ; and with this acknow- 

 ledgment the proceedings terminated. 



INAUGURAL ADDRESS FROM THE CHAIR OF AGRICULTURE, 

 QUEEN'S COLLEGE, BIRMINGHAM. 



Delivered by Professor Tanner, on November 8th, 1858. 



My present duty, in delivering before you an 

 inaugural address on the commencement of my duties 

 in this College, is a source at once of pleasure and 

 anxiety. Of pleasure, because I cannot but feel 

 gratified that I have been so highly honoured in being 

 selected by the Council of Queen's College to fill the 

 newly-established Chair of Agriculture and Rural 

 Economy ; at the same time this responsibility 

 producer a deep anxiety on my mind for the right per- 

 formance of the duties of my position. Your presence 

 here to-day assures me that you take a warm interest 

 in the progress of agriculture, and especially in the 

 step so recently taken by the establishment of a Pro- 

 fessorship of Agriculture and Rural Economy in 

 Queen's College. I therefore cast aside that hesitation 

 which I might otherwise feel, and, throwing myself 

 upon your indulgent consideration, shall proceed to 

 glance at some of those reasons which induced the 

 Council of Queen's College to take this important st(p, 

 and view the beneficial results which we may anticipate 

 therefrom. 



The position of agriculture is at the present time 

 somewhat singular. For some years past a conflict 

 has been taking place amongst those connected with 

 this important department of national industry. The 

 contest has been severe, and prosecuted with much zeal 

 on both sides ; whilst jealousy has been too dominant, 

 and added a bitterness to the strife. Happily, the con- 

 flict is over : we hear no more now of the opposing 

 claims of Practice and Science; but all are now sur- 

 prised at the past warfare, and with hearty good fel- 

 lowship they form a noble band desirous of advancing 

 the interests of agriculture, thereby contributing to the 

 welfare of the proprietors and occupiers of the land as 

 well as to the prosperity of the country at large, whose 

 Interest is so closely identified with the prosperity of 

 those connected with landed property. We may, how- 

 ever, review the contest v.ith advantage, and draw 



therefrom a caution which will influence us for the 

 future. 



As in the majority of cases, when persons range 

 themselves into distinct parties, both are apt to fall 

 into error, whilst truth is generally found amongst the 

 more moderate opinions. This is particularly observ- 

 able in the history of agriculture. We observe that 

 certain customs and practices have been established in 

 various parts without its being known why or where- 

 fore they have been adopted. They are persisted in 

 because they are attended with some success ; and this 

 is certainly a very strong argument in their favour. 

 The advocates of science imagined that they detected 

 many errors in various farm practices, and no doubt 

 they were to a certain extent correct in recognizing 

 those errors; but in too many cases they fell into the 

 opposite error, and with sweeping censure condemned 

 the practices entirely, and proposed substitutes without 

 considering the peculiar circumstances of the locality ; 

 consequently these substitutes were ft-equently un- 

 successful. The men of practice refused to adopt the 

 novel plans proposed, whilst those engaged in scientific 

 pursuits, with too great haste, looked upon them as a 

 stationary class opposed to all progress. It is true that, 

 as a body, they did refuse to throw aside established 

 practices for the new modifications ; but as soon as 

 economical results were proved, their opposition 

 vanished. 



The agriculturist may be looked upon as one who is 

 continually inquiring of Nature ; and the operations he 

 performs upon the land are more or less successful in 

 proportion as they are in accordance with the laws 

 which control the operations of Nature. Thus errors 

 have been detected by failures, whilst more correct 

 systems have been established by success. Nature has 

 thus taught the observant agriculturist how he may 

 carry out his operations with success. Such knowledge 

 is usually known as experience; and highly indeed must 



