THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



129 



deal of fine workmanship in your implements, and that 

 they are made far more expensively and durablj' than im- 

 plements are with us. Why is this ? Because you believe 

 that you are perfect in your agriculture. But take your 

 ploughs. Our ploughs ai"e about as much like yours as they 

 are like a spoon. I asked a gentleman what was the weight 

 of one of your ploughs, and he replied 280 lbs. This was a 

 plough for two horses ; and a plough in my eountrj', such as 

 we work with three yoke of heavy oxen, equal to six horses, 

 is of such a weight that one workman can walk off with it 

 very comfortably. (Laughter.) I have seen it done hun- 

 dreds of times ; and yet such a plough will not readily 

 break. I do not know how your ploughs may act in your 

 land, but they would be old iron io ours in about five 

 minutes. (Laughter.) It does seem to me that, with re- 

 gard to agricultural implements, you gentlemen may learn 

 something of America yet. I was glad to see M'Cormick's 

 reaper upon the field. It looked American, and it appeared 

 to indicate that you were looking a little that way, and 

 seeing whether you might not learn something from us. No 

 doubt your implcment.s are better for your own soil, but I 

 doubt whether they are better for ours. I shall go home 

 and report upon these matters, and I am endeavouring to 

 look upon things candidly to ascertain what is best, and 

 what we can carry away that maj' be useful. We are in- 

 debted to you for much. We are importing some of the 

 best stock that we find in the country here. We send our 

 agents, who come and take away the best bulls and sheep 

 and everything else they can find. Plenty of Indian corn 

 will raise a good animal as well as anything else under the 

 sun ; and if you will attend tlie agricultural show of our 

 United States Agricultural Society at Louisville in Ken- 

 tucky, you will find that we shall show as good shorthorned 

 stock, according to cur notions of goodness, as ever you saw 

 upon the earth. There are different ideas as to what con- 

 stitutes a good cow. I was told this^ morning that a 

 certain cow was a beautiful one, and I asked, " Does she 

 give a good deal of milk. ^" The answer was, " Well, I 

 don't know." I asked, " Will her stock give a good deal 

 of milk ?" " Well, they may or they may not." Now, I 

 want a cow that will give milk : if she won't give milk she 

 is good for nothing, and I don't care how short her horns 

 are. (Applause.) As I have said, there are some things 

 which you might gain by visiting us. If you were to come 

 over and attend the shows of any of our country societies or 

 United States Society you would see that it is usual for us 

 on all festive occasions to bring the ladies with us. If there 

 were ladies now I should have more freedom in making a 

 speech, for it is more awkward talking to men alone. 

 (Laughter.) I have alluded to many differences which exist 

 between the manners and fashions of the old country and 

 the new ; but I think upon one point— and I say it with 

 sincerity — there is no difl:erence of feelingbetween Americans 

 and Englishmen. Whatever brawling politicians in cither 

 country may say— whatever editors of newspapers, who 

 like to make themselves conspicuous, may say to the con- 

 trary — I maintain that the people of the United States, 

 taking the rank-and-file of the country throughout, entertain 

 the most friendly feelings towards Great Britain. So far as 

 I have been able to judge from my intercourse with 

 Englishmen, the same friendly feeling appears to pervade 

 the people of Great Britain, The sentiment of the people 

 of both countries seems to be that it would be most unfor- 

 tunate if anything should occur to disturb the harmony 

 between the two nations ; and I cannot close my observa- 

 tions more appropriately than by saying, " The harmony 



which exists between Great Britain and America— may it 

 be perpetual." (Loud cheers). 



" Success to the Royal Agricultural Society of England." 



Mr. Allan Ransome briefly responded. The Royal 

 Agi-icultural Society stood in the position of a parent to the 

 local associations, but instead of being begotten by their 

 parent they had been the cause of its production. 

 (Laughter). 



The Secretary announced that Mr. Bond had been 

 elected Secretary of the Society — 128 votes ha^-ing been 

 recorded for him, while Mr. Beckett had polled 110, and 

 Mr. Cook 38. 



Mr. Badham having briefly responded for the " Success- 

 ful Candidates," 



Mr. Spooner returned thanks for the toast of " The 

 Judges," which followed. He could not venture to speak as to 

 the various classes in which he had taken no part, because 

 the competition was so great in that peculiar feature of the 

 Suffolk shows — the horses— that he and his brother-judges 

 were fully employed in devoting themselves to their duties. 

 With regard to the show of agricultur.'.l horses, it had never 

 been surpassed at any former meeting of the society. One 

 peculiar feature belonging to the show was the excellence 

 of the younger stock. In the distant part of the country 

 from which he came, his friends desired to improve the 

 breed of horses, but they could not, like the farmers of 

 Suffolk, secure a first-rate stallion within half-a-dozen miles. 

 Their poverty, and not their will, consented. It would be 

 inexcusable, howevei', for Suffolk gentlemen to put a good 

 mare to a bad horse. 



"Agriculture, Manufactures, and Commerce." 



Mr. Allan Ransome shortly responded, observing that 

 the country at present enjoyed an unexampled degree of 

 general prosperity. 



The President announced that the meeting of the society 

 would be held next year at Bury St. Edmund's. 



Mr. Claydon, in complimentary terms, proposed the 

 health of the secretary pro tern, Mr. W. Biddell. (Loud 

 cheers). 



Mr. Biddell responded, and stated that the farmers 

 of the western division of the county were beginning to ask 

 themselves whether they could not compete with their 

 neighbours in East Suftblk. The exhibition during the day 

 had been an extremely successful one. In former years the 

 receipts had not exceeded £120 or £130, but this year 3,360 

 Is. tickets of admission had been sold. 



The company separated shortly after eight o'clock. 



SALT FOR SHEEP.— The first thing the shepherd in 

 Spain does when his flocks return from the south, the summer 

 downs, or pastures, is to give them as much salt as they will 

 eat. Every owner allows to each thousand atieep 2,500 lbs. 

 of salt, wfiich they consume in about five months. They eat 

 none in their journeys, nor are they allowed any in winter, as 

 it is thought to produce abortion when given to ewes forward 

 with young. This has been the custom, and it is thought to 

 be the true reason why the Kings of Spain could never raise 

 the price of salt to the height it baa maiutained in France ; for 

 it would tempt the shepherds to stint their sheep, which it is 

 believed would weaken their constitutions and deteriorate their 

 wool. The shepherd places fifty or sixty flat stones at the 

 diatance of about five paces apart, stre«s salt upon each, leads 

 the sheep slowly among them, and every one is allowed to eat 

 it at pleasure. But when they are feeding on limestone lands, 

 they eat no salt ; and if they meet with a spot of mixed forma- 

 tion, they are said to partake of it in proportion as the soil ia 

 mingled witli clay. — Wool-Grower, 



