78 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



of a secretary. There was great competition for the oflfice 

 among men of tirst-rate abilities and qualifi-catioub. A 

 committee which had been appointed to make the selection 

 had chosen tea for final consideration. The election would 

 take place on Wednesday ; and without knowing, of course, 

 on whom the choice would fall, he felt satisfied that the desire 

 of every member of the council was that the best man should 

 have the office. He did not believe there was a single man 

 among the seventy-five members of the council who would 

 dare to sacrifice his duty to bis private feelings. If such a 

 man were proved to txist, it would be for the members of the 

 Society to erase his name, and substitute for it another. He 

 would only say, further, in reference to that Society, that the 

 members of the council, living as many of them did in the 

 country, had devoted their time and expended their money 

 freely in the cause of agriculture; and for the kind manner in 

 which the toast had beeu proposed and received, he tendered 

 his sincere thanks on their behalf. As regarded the other 

 societies included in the toast, he could only say that he 

 hoped their proceedings v/ould contiaue to be conducted in 

 the same spirit that they had been hitherto ; in which case, he 

 believed they would tend to bring about still further improve- 

 ments in the exhibitions of stock and implements. In the 

 year 1862 there would be a great gathering in the western 

 part of the metropolia ; and he hoped they would then see 

 their neighbours the French coming among them, not to de- 

 solate the country, but to join with them in developing the 

 arts of peace and promoting the civilization of the vrorld 

 (cheer 3). 



Mr. Charles Howakd, in proposing "The Smith&eld 

 Club," said that was a toast which could not fail to meet there 

 with a cordial reception. That club had done a vast amount of 

 good alrsady, and was calculated to do a great deal more. It 

 had now outgrown the building in which its shows had been 

 held for some years past, and a movement had accordingly been 

 set ou foot with the view of securing a more eligible site. He 

 would couple the toast with the name of a gentleman who was 

 as fine a specimen of his class as any of the animals now being 

 exhibited were of their classes respectively (laughter) — he 

 meant Mr. Jonas Webb (cheers), 



Mr. Jonas Webb said, as a retired steward of the Smith- 

 field Club, he felt much pleasure in returning thanks for the 

 toast. Mr. Howard had truly remarked that that club had 

 outgrown the building in Baker-street. The committee which 

 ■was appointed last year to find a better site had recommended 

 what they considered to be a very good one, but six months 

 longer had been allowed them to see if they could find a better. 

 The satisfactory settlement of that question would, no doubt, 

 afford great pleasure both to the mambers of the club and 

 to the public. As regarded the show of this year, he be- 

 lieved it was a very good oue, and he would recommend those 

 who had not seen it to do so at once. 



Mr. Shearer, on rising to propose " The Local Farmers'" 

 Clubs and Societies " said that toast was a very important 

 one, seeing that it was local associations that led to the 

 formation of the Royal Agricultural Society, the Sraithfield 

 Club, and even the Central Farmers' Club, Their useful- 

 ness could hardly be overrated. Scattered as they were 

 through the country, they had probably done more to advance 

 agriculture generally than even the central institution in 

 London. The central club of course took the lead in discus- 

 sing questions of interest to the agricultural community, but 

 no one who was acquainted with the local clubs could deny 

 that an immense amount of talent was displayed in their 

 proceedings. This was especially the case in the Newcastle 

 Club, the Botley Club, and the Chippenham Society. He 

 rejoiced that the last named club was represented on that 

 occasion by its Secretary Mr. Little, with whose name he 

 begged to couple the toast. 



Mr. Little, in responding, said the local clubs for which 

 he had the honour of returning thanks had, he believedj 

 done a great deal to assist the Royal Agricultural Societ}'', 

 and other institutions, in promoting the improvements of 

 stock, and the better cultivation of the soil. He did not 

 agree with Mr. Hobbs that nothing scarcely was known 

 about the nature of the soil before the Royal Agricultural 

 Society was formed, for he recollected readmg a great many 

 valuable publications on the subject prior to that period. As 

 regarded the discussions in the local clubs he could not re- 

 frain from remarking that although there might not be as 



great a display of scientific kiiowledr;e as there often was at 

 the meetings of the Central Club, yet the addresses were 

 generally of a very practical and useful character (Hear, 

 hear). 



Mr. Beale Browne proposed " The health of Mr, 

 Coussmaker," Vice-chairman of the day, and Cha'rman of 

 the Club for the ensuing year. Having, he said, been a 

 memberof the Club for some years— he would remark, in 

 passing, that it was under the auspices of his excellent 

 friend the late Mr. James that he first became a member 

 — and having always felt great interest in i;s proceedings, 

 he could not help expressing his conviction that the suc- 

 cess of the Club depended in a very great degree on the 

 selection of the most suitable persons to fill the princi- 

 pal offices ; and he believed that if they continued as careful 

 as they had been for some years to select the most practi- 

 cal men to act as chairman and vice-chairman, there was 

 every prospect of increased success. But there was another 

 thing besides the selection of gentlemen to fill the chair 

 which required the most careful consideration. In the case 

 of a club like that, there were, it should be remembered, a 

 great many persons watching its proceedings with jealous 

 eyes ; aad hence they ought to select not mere talented 

 men, but practical men intimately connected with agriculture 

 to open the discussions. They did not want men who would 

 deliver brilliant orations, but practical men, who would intro- 

 duce the subject in the best manner, so as to promote useful 

 dscussion. If such men were obtained, the agricultural world, 

 which watched their proceedings with interest, would acknow- 

 ledge that the Club was composed altogether of a practical body 

 of men, and it v.ould obtain a further accession of members. 

 He was glad to hear from Mr. Jonas Webb that there was 

 some probability that the farming interest would not much 

 longer be subjected to the disgrace of having the Smithfleld 

 Cattle Show held where it was at present ; one result of this 

 bemg that men who brought their animals to London at con- 

 siderable expense, to exhibit them, were unable to obtain the 

 requisite accommodation. There was another point con- 

 nected with that topic to which he could not help adverting. 

 Why should the Smitbfield Club havo only one show in the 

 year ? Why should England ha behind Ireland in that respect. 

 In Irelaud there was a Spring cattle show, a remarkably fine 

 exhibition, and he did not see why there should not be one in 

 Ecgland. If the Club comprised fifteen or twenty thousand 

 members, as it ought to do, there wouldofcoursebeno difficulty 

 in carrying out such a project. He really did not understand 

 why one of the finest agricultural countries in the world could 

 not have a cattle show in the Spring, which would afford 

 foreigners an additional opportunity of selecting animals of 

 the best breeds, and taking them to other parts of the globe. 

 He should not be contented with having mentioned the sub- 

 ject there, but v/ould endeavour to get the idea carried into 

 effect. 



Mr. Coussmaker, in responding, said: Not long ago there 

 was a prevalent demand to have " the right man put in the 

 right place." Now, be could not help thinking that the chair 

 of an important club like that, numbering about five hundred 

 members, ought to be occupied by a thoroughly practical man, 

 and a man of good standing in the agricultural world, well 

 known as such by all the more extensive farmers of the coun- 

 try. Now, he himself certainly did not come under 

 that definition j he was an amateur, and nothing more. He 

 had, however, taken very great interest in the pursuits of 

 agriculture for several years ; he was, to a certain extent, a 

 practical man : he had had twenty years' experience in agri- 

 culture, and he had always had the interest of that club very 

 much at heart. He wa^, iu fact, one of the oldest members, 

 haviug joined the Club a few mouths after its formation ; and 

 he bad for several years been a member of the committee, in 

 which capacity he had done his best to promote the interests 

 of the Club. A wish having been expressed that he should 

 take the chair, he could not shrink from a duty which he felt 

 to be fairly imposed upon him. At the same time he felt his 

 own incompetence, and mu!^t claim a large amount of indul- 

 gence at the hands of his brother-membtrs. The first Com- 

 mittee meeting at which he should preside would take 

 place in January ; the chief business of which would be to de- 

 cide upon the subjects for discussion during the year. He 

 hoped that the list before the committee would be an exten- 

 sive one; and he would urge upon the members the desira- 



