THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



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mixed up with the laity In a good cause, and \\c hoped 

 to see many of tliem associating themselves with the 

 Club. They had recently had a solemn instance of sudden 

 death in the person of the Rev. Mr. James ; and all whom 

 he addressed would, he was sure, agree with him that they 

 owed a tribute of respsct to the memory of one who was a 

 staunch supporter and most useful member of that Club. 

 Again, they could not do without chemists and machinists, 

 without such men as Professor .Johnson, and Mr. Nesbit, 

 Mr. Bullock Webster, Mr. Fowler, and others who had 

 aided in the development of agriculture ; aud he hoped 

 that such persons would continue to co-operate with prac- 

 tical farmers through the medium of that Club. He would 

 also like to see the rising generation joining the Club, and 

 giving the results of their observation and experience so far 

 as they were matured in reference to agricultural subjecta. 

 This led him to the subject of monthly discussions. He be- 

 lieved that these formed one of the most useful features in 

 the Club, circulated as thej' were among members who could 

 not attend ; but he would rejoice if in the ensuing year some 

 fresh topics were introduced, and new blood was infused in 

 the persons of those who were selected to open the discus- 

 sion. He concluded by urging all present to endeavour in 

 their several localities to enlist new members for the Club, 

 with a view of making it a further and more complete re- 

 presentation of the agricultural body. 



Mr. Trethewy said the toast he was about to propose 

 was originally assigned to Lord Berners, but since they as- 

 sembled in that room a letter from his lordship had been 

 placed in the hands of the Chairman, in which he stated 

 that indisposition rendered him unable to attend. He 

 deeply regretted that circumstance. His lordship did not 

 require any panegyric from him ; but he could not help ex- 

 pressing his regret that they were deprived of the honour 

 of his lordship's presence. He now came to his toast, 

 which was "The health of their Chairman" (cheers). 

 He should not have undertaken the duty of proposing that 

 toast were it not that his personal knowledge of andacquaint- 

 ance with the Chairman enabled him to speak with con- 

 fidence respecting him. He felt that it was very important 

 for them as a club that they should have at their head a 

 practical man. In that respect they were peculiarly fortu- 

 nate, then, for there was not a more thoroughly practical 

 farmer in England than the gentleman who had presided over 

 them during the last twelve months. So far as his qualifi- 

 cations as an agriculturist were concerned, he knew him to 

 be specially fitted for the office of Chairman ; while of his 

 fitness for the ordinary qualifications of that post, all who 

 had attended the meetings had seen ample proof during the 

 past year. Without detaining them any longer, he would 

 propose the toast, believing that all would concur in the 

 sentiment which he had expressed. 



The toast having been drunk with great cordiality, 



The Chairman, in replying, said he felt great diffidence in 

 accepting the office of chairman, and he was extremely glad 

 to find that the manner in which he had discharged its duties 

 had given satiafaction. 



Mr. Alderman Mechi said he had been requested by the 

 Chairman to propose, as a toast, " The Royal Agricultural 

 the Society of England, the Highland Society of Scotland, and 

 Irish Agricultural Improvement Society." They all knew that 

 the proceediugs of those associations bad led to very great im- 

 provements in agriculture. In the Journals of those societies 

 diflferent men communicated their thoughts on agricultural 

 topics, and while relating what was going on in their own 

 country, they had sometimes a good deal of fault to find with 

 what was going on elsewhere — one effect of this being to 

 cause a little shame at first, and to stimulate improvement in 

 the end. Moreover; the extension of railways had rendered 

 it practicable for the members generally to attend the annual 

 meetings, and the result was great improvement iu agricul- 

 ture, through farmers observing what was going on around 

 them, and at the same time an improvement in trade, through 

 the increased demand for machinery. He should connect the 

 toast with the name of Mr. Fisher Hobbs, who had done so 

 much for British agriculture, aud who was a member of the 

 Couacil of the Royal Agricultural Society of England. He 

 had a greyt respect for that Society; but he must say that, 

 like all othei societies, it required to be stirred up now and 

 then. Progress must now be the order of the day ; and be 



would venture to suggest that the Royal Agricidtural Society 

 would do more good if the Council allowed a freer commu- 

 nication of its proceedings through the medium of the press. 

 He was himself not always able to attend the meetings, aud 

 he would, iu common, no doubt, with many others, feel great 

 pleasure iu reading a report of what had occurred : many 

 good things were said that never reached the ears or eyes of 

 agriculturists generally. He believed t!;e press was quite 

 prepared to afford the requisite information. It was, indeed, 

 objected that a great deal of nonsense was talked at tlie meet- 

 ings. That objection would apply equally to the House of 

 Commons (laughter). The truth was that the gentlemen con- 

 nected with the press took care not to report nonsense, for if 

 they filled their papers with nonsense nobody would read 

 them. He was glad that the Royal Agricultural Society had 

 offered a large prize for an essay on the use of steam- 

 power in cultivation, and had also decided upon giving 

 rewards for other things, which might prove very advantageous 

 to agriculture. There was one question to which he considered 

 it especially desirable that the Council should speedily direct 

 their attention ; he referred to the possibility of economizing 

 and returning to the land the enormous quantities of manure 

 which were now wasted in the sewers. The expediency of 

 offering a reward to chemists and others, for the devising of 

 some means of securing for the land the enormous mass of 

 fertilizing matter poured into the sewers, was, in his opinion, 

 well worthy of consideration. 



Mr. EisnEK Hobbs, in responding to the toast, said 

 he regretted that Lord Berners, a Vice-President of the 

 Royal Agricultural Society, was not there to perform that duty. 

 That society bad perhaps been more successful during its 

 minority — it came of age during the mouth of May last— 

 than any society which had been formed in Europe within 

 the memory of man. With but a moderate amount of income 

 it had greatly advanced the science and practice of agriculture, 

 and developed the resources of this country, both as regarded 

 the improvement of the breeds of animals aud as regarded the 

 increased production of the soil, He felt persuaded, in fact, 

 that it had done more good than any other body of a similar 

 kind in this generation. During their minority they, no doubt, 

 made some mistakes and endured some misfortunes ; they 

 were now of age, and he trusted that amid the dangers that 

 were now takmg place they would be enabled to steer clear of 

 all difficulties, and that year by year they would be enabled 

 to impart to the agricultural body, and through it to the 

 community at large, great advantages in connection with 

 the science aud practice of agriculture. When they first 

 commenced there was scarcely a chemist in England who 

 could be trusted with the analysis of soils or with the investi- 

 gation of the value of manures, whether in a liquid or a solid 

 state ; while as regarded the quality of the land, few of them 

 knew what was its real value. Now, however, so much had 

 been written and done in respect to the drainage of land, and 

 the proper application of manures aud of chemical and me- 

 chanical principles to agriculture, that the result must be ex- 

 ceedingly beneficial to the country. There was indeed no 

 one branch of agricultural study, whether scientific or prac- 

 tical, which could as yet be considered perfect. They went 

 on, however, from year to year with drainage and with the 

 steam plough, which was undergoing almost daily improve- 

 ments, and be hoped and trusted that, through the encourage- 

 ment, which was being given to it, they would see steam cul- 

 tivation established. He thought the time had arrived when 

 the advantages offered by the Royal Agricultural Society would 

 be more appreciated than they had been, and when the society 

 itself would in consequence receive increased support. 

 Agriculturists bad much to learn in the science of entomo- 

 logy, very little being known by them at present, with re- 

 gard to the habits and characteristics of insects. They had a 

 vast deal also to learn with regard to geology, botany, and 

 other sciences connected with tbem. Then they stood in need 

 of a much larger acquaintance with veterinary science. The 

 practical farmers of this country were suffering very materially 

 from the diseases which infested their herds and Qocks ; and 

 he felt persuaded that if farmers generally would rally round 

 the Royal Agricultural Society, it would be enabled to com- 

 municate an increased amount of information on that and other 

 subjecta with great benefit to them and to the community 

 at large. One of the most important duties which the 

 council had to perform at the present time was the election 



