THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



399 



course came the dinner, and it is thus The County 

 Advertiser talks of it. Tlie Editor is speaking of 

 " the patronage of the groat landed proprietors 

 and gentry of the county of Durham to their 

 County Agricultural Society," and he goes on in this 

 wise : — " They have contributed liberally to its funds. 

 Their names are on its subscription lists. They are 

 understood to approve, and to ' wish well,' &c. ; but as 

 for attending its meetings — taking any personal interest 

 in its actual well-doing — showing any personal respect 

 for its conductors — that is quite another matter ; that 

 they will not, and do not. Their money is given — their 

 countenance, their personal influence is utterly with- 

 held. Whoever else may think proper to dine and chat 

 with farmer Hodge and farmer Hobnail, they will not. 

 Our readers will hardly consider us as advancing this 

 on light grounds, when we state that, at the recent 

 agricultural dinner in Stockton, with the exception of 

 the chairman, Mr. Spearman (long, zealously, and 

 consistently, the friend of the society), scarcely a mem- 

 ber of the class to which we refer was present. Farm- 

 tenants of great respectability were there in goodly 

 numbers — taking the proper interest — giving the 

 proper attention ; but of the rural gentry — the 

 county landed proprietors— we repeat — the chairman 

 was almost the sole representative. How, and why, is 

 this ? Are the interests of agriculture of no vital 

 importance to agricultural proprietors 1 Is it enough 

 for them, and for all the purposes of their aid and 

 countenance, to contribute an annual guinea, and say, 

 " God speed the plough" ? Hitherto, for some reason, 



it has not pleased God that the plough should speed so 

 well in Durham as in the adjacent counties ; it has not 

 pleased him that, with the exception of one class of 

 cattle breeding, our agriculture should take other than 

 a comparatively low standing. Will the landed 

 proprietors elevate it — will they improve matters — 

 by shirking the only possible instrument ot 

 improvement, the only possible stimulus to im- 

 provemcnt ? We fancy not. It has been said, in 

 a light way, that ' the world goes ill with Englishmen 

 when they will not meet even to dine together.' We 

 may say, with perfect seriousness, that things go ill with 

 the agricultural world when its natural heads and 

 chiefs will not meet even to dine together once in 

 twelve months — will not give their personal aod social 

 countenance to what is intimately connected with their 

 own personal fortunes and social standing. Some of 

 these gentlemen are connected, probably, with other 

 great county interests, mining and maritime. Are they 

 equally shy of attending meetings relative to their ad- 

 vance ? Do they give the cold shoulder to great coal 

 proprietary dinners ? or drop civil declining notes of 

 * extreme regret, &c.,' to the secretaries of great ship- 

 owners' associations ?" 



This is hard hitting; and we give it here as a warn- 

 ing to all in or out of Durham. We live in an age 

 when we want something more than "your blessing and 

 a five-pound note." Is it not significant, too, that one 

 of the worst-farmed counties in England has the most 

 indifferent lot of landlords ? Truly they are reaping 

 their reward. 



BEDFORDSHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 MEETING AT LEIGHTON BUZZARD. 



"Although Bedfordshire must be classed as a second 

 or even third-rate county in territorial extent and the 

 natural fertility of much of its soil, yet in the progress 

 of its agriculture, in the improvement of its stock, and, 

 it may be added, in the social order, public spirit, and 

 intelligence of its yeomen, it occupies an honourable 

 and prominent position among the counties of Eng- 

 land." 



It is thus that Mr. William Bennett opens his essay 

 on the farming of his native county; and in his very 

 words may we, appropriately enough, introduce the 

 meeting held at Leighton on the first Friday in October. 

 We may even horrow a little further from him. During 

 the timeof John, brother and successor to Francis, Duke 

 of Bedford, " the county agricultural society was first 

 formed ; and it is but justice to say that it has ever since 

 been supported by the house of Russell with the most 

 liberal donations. It is also gratifying to find that within 

 the last few years, the society, since it commenced its 

 perambulatoi'y meetings, has become more healthy and 

 vigorous These societies have been of incal- 

 culable benefit to the community in general, but not 

 to any county more than to Bedfordshire." 



This Bedfordshire Agricultural Society is so an- 



nounced to us with something of a flourish. We may 

 think, perhaps, to see here something beyond the mere 

 run of such local gatherings. We have, indeed, many 

 reasons beyond Mr. Bennett's good word for expecting 

 as much. " The Bedfordshire men" have been mak- 

 ing themselves famous for some time past in the world 

 agi'icultural. You find them prominent on all great 

 occasions. They sit at the council board of our national 

 organ. They are judges, exhibitors, and prize- takers 

 at our national meetings. They are now acknowledged 

 to have some of the best stock and implements in the 

 world. Take for instance such men as Mr. Pawlett 

 for the one, or the Messrs. Howard for the other. They 

 muster in more than average force at the discussions 

 of their London Club, and seldom speak but to the 

 purpose, and with efiect. In short, the agriculturists 

 of Bedfordshire hold their own so well elsewhere, as to 

 warrant us in anticipating that we shall see them doing 

 pretty well, when at home. 



The meeting at Leighton comes in all confirmation 

 of this. It puts the further stamp of approval on Mr. 

 Bennett's essay, while it assures us the county has 

 not been distinguished without a cause. It is rarely 

 that we have seen so excellent a district show. Either 



