THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



405 



doubts as to the value of crossing. At this he was 

 rather surprised ; for he could not forget that those 

 beautiful pigs, with which his name had been so long 

 connected, were the result of crossing, and that too, as 

 everyone knew, by a strain of Neapolitan blood. In 

 answer to Mr. Thomas, of Bletsoe, he believed it was 

 very generally admitted that the produce commonly 

 partook of the size of the male. In adverting to Mr. 

 Coleman's expression of regret that he had not entered 

 into his own experience, Mr. Howard said he felt he 

 should not have been justified in taking that course: 

 he had purposely kept it in the back ground, not wishing 

 in his paper to show a particular leaning to any breed. 

 He had now no objection to state that he was strongly 

 in favour of the cross-breds now known as '' Oxford 

 Downs," he had been very successful with them from 

 the time he commenced business, and for " rent-paying" 

 properties he would not change his flock for one of any 

 of the established breeds. 



Thanks were then voted to Mr. Howard for his paper, 

 and to the Chairman tor presiding, and with these 

 acknowledgments the proceedings terminated. 



The Over-Preservation of Game. — The paper 

 read by Mr. Corbet at the March Meeting of the Club, 

 having been revised and enlarged, is now published as a 

 pamphlet by Mr. Ridgway, of Piccadilly, price Is. 



CENTRAL FARMERS' CLUB. 



A meeting of the committee was held at the Club House, 

 New Bridge-street, Bkckfriara, oa Monday, April 2 ; L. A. 

 CoussMAKER, Esq., iu the chair. There were also present 

 Messrs. N. G. Baitliropp, J. Bradshaw, J. Cressingham, W. 

 Gray, W. Fisher Hobbs, C. Howard, J. G. King, B. P. 

 Shearer, Spencer Skelton, J. B. Spearing, James Thomas, 

 John Thomas, and H. Trethewy. 



The minutes of the last meeting were read, and the usual 

 monthly statement of accounts received. 



The following members were elected : 



R. L. Cook, Hull. 



J. Goodwin, Millmau-street, Bedford-row. 

 T. Revis.Olney. 



J. Sanderson, 13 a, Cannon-row, Westminster, 

 Seven other names were read for the first time. 



The thanks of the committee were ordered for five parts of 

 the " Journal of the Bath and West of England Society," 

 presented to the Club by that society. 



A letter was read from the Rev. S. Smith, of the Vicarage, 

 Lois-WeedoD, having reference to the May discussion meet- 

 ing. This will be on the Lo's Weedon system of wheat grow- 

 ing, and Mr. Smith wrote to iuvite a party of members of the 

 club to inspect his crops, previous to the reading of Mr. Al- 

 gernon Clark's paper. The committee directed their best 

 thanks to bs offered Mr. Smith, and a deputation was appointed 

 accordingly to visit Lois- Weedon either the last week iu 

 April or the first week iu May, as might be most convenient 

 to Mr. Smith himself. 



Mr. Skelton called the attention of the committee to the 

 incredulity with which the statement made by Mr. Aid. Mechi 

 at the February meeting of the Club as to his profits by farming 

 during the past year had been received throughout the country. 

 Mr. Skelton proceeded to tnove the following resolution, 

 which was seconded by Mr. J. G. King, of Beedon, Berks : 

 "That an official communication be forwarded by the secretary 

 to Mr. Mechi, informing him that the committee were not 

 satisfied with bis statement at the February Discussion 

 Meeting of the Club, as to the profits derived from his farm 

 during the past year, and requeetiiig that he would favour 

 them with some more explicit and taugible account." 



Other members of the committee considered that the 

 adoption of such a course would only tend to attach undue 

 importance to the matter, and the motion, on a division, was 

 lost by one vote. 



BATH AND WEST OF ENGLAND SOCIETY. 



The monthly meeting of the Council was held at Wag- 

 horn's Hotel, Taunton, on Saturday, the 3Lst March last, 

 John Sillifant, Esq., in the chair. 



The following members were present : J. C. Mansell, T. 

 D. Acland, W. E. Gillett, Jonathan Gray, John Daw, John 

 Hooper, J. T. Davy, John Gould, John Belfield, T. New- 

 man, .lohn Widdicorabe, R. H. Clarke, J. W. Walrond, 

 M. Farraut, D. Adair, W. Thompson, G. S. Poole, E U. 

 Vidal, C. Bubh. James Hole, R. G. Badcock. R. N. Greu- 

 ville,E.S.Drewe,J. D.Hancock, R. K. M King, S. Pitman. 



Several matters of an important character were brought 

 before tiie boafd, but, after some discussion, postponed for 

 future consideration. 



Mr. W. Fronde, of Dartington, Totness, was elected 

 Assistant Steward of Implements. 



The following gentlemen were elected members of the 

 society : William Symonds, Milborn St. Andrew ; John 

 Seymour Titt, Milton Abbas ; C. Vallack, Kingsand, 

 Cornwall; John A. Smith, Biadfotd Peverell, James Stay, 

 Templecombe, Wincantoii ; Samuel Worthy, Wiucauton ; 

 John F. Hole, Wincanton; Charles Herridge, Wincanton ; 

 John V.'adman, sen., Wincanton ; Oliver Maggs, Wincan- 

 ton ; Mr. Hindiey, Wincanton; Bernhard Samuelson, 

 Banbury; John Shaw, Banbury; Levi Groves, West 

 Kington, Dorchester; Richard Chandler Alexander Prior, 

 Halse House, Taunton. 



WILL WOOD OF THE FARM. 



BY B. \V. PEARCE. 



The bright Spring days have come, Will Wood, 



The cold, bleak weather is past, 

 The husbandman speeds his plough once more. 



The Frost King's goue at last. 

 The fields have cast their mantle of white. 



And are downing their carpet of green. 

 The cattle e'en now on the hill-side graze, 



And the green bursting buds are seen. 

 My mind's eye wanders to the farm, Will Wood, 



The farm with ils meadows and trees, 

 Where in years gone by — bright boyhood's years — 



Our hearts were light as the breeze ; 

 The house by the road, where years it has stood, 



Unscathed by the hand of decay. 

 The peach and the pear trees, 'neath whose shade. 



We went in the sunshine to play. 

 The hand that planted them is cold, Will Wood, 



And is laid 'neaih the white marble stone ; 

 But the trees he left bright monuments stand, 



To tell of the patriarch gone. 

 That old well sweep you've taken away. 



And a "new-langled" pump, in its stead. 

 Brings to your hand the pure cooling draught 



From the well that our good sire made. 

 And don't you remember the oven. Will Wood, 



We built 'neath the buttonwood tree ? 

 And how in that oven the apples we baked. 



And none were so happy as we.^ 

 A score of years have passed since then, 



But the oven remains there still. 

 Though the soft green moss now covers its sides. 



That oven close under the hill. 

 There is one gentle voice now hushed. Will Wood, 



That we all so delighted to hear ; 

 Her form lies cold in the embrace of death. 



That was wont the dwelling to cheer; 

 But her memory lives in the hearts of those 



VVho joyed in her presence then; 

 She'll mingle no more with the scenes of earth, 



But auun we shall meet her again. 

 We're scattered all hither and yon, Will Wood, 



We ne'er again shall meet 

 Around the board in the old farm-house, 



With kindly words to greet; 

 But our hearts cling fondly around that spot, 



Where we never knew aught of harm. 

 And we joy to grasp thy hard brown hand. 



Will Wood of the h<pinestead farm. 



