402 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



archal huutsuian, Jem Movgiiu, liad pulled down a 

 brace of cubs, with the Lonsdale hounds. In the deep 

 green valley beneath, the eye rested on the pleasant 

 residence of Mr. Ileywootl, embowered in the bosom 

 of thick overhanging woods, scarcely yet fading oft' 

 into their autumn brown. And still farther down the 

 same valley, Loudwater, the seat of Mr. Herbert 

 Ingram, M. P., just peeped forth, with the belfry of the 

 paper-mills at its side, silently marking that " temple 

 of industrious peace," whose products, bearing the 

 mental impress of a Mackay, a Timbs, a Reach, and a 

 Gilbert, have built up for their owner so enduring a 

 name in the European annals of " the fourth estate." 

 As the morning wore on, and the green strips in each 

 allotment grew rapidly narrower and narrower, the field 

 began to assume a very lively appearance. Mr. Abra- 

 ham, the rector of Rickmansworth, Mr. Fellows, sen., 

 Mr. Herbert Fellows, that most enthusiat-tic of secre- 

 taries, with the committee, and many of the neighbouring 

 gentry, with their wives and families, were on the ground ; 

 and as soon as their dinner was over, the labourers' 

 wives and children sallied out, and joined the groups, 

 looking forward with no little interest and speculation 

 to the reading of the prize list. The work was keenly 

 scrutinized; and when the white-haired Nestorsofthe 

 plough were led, stick in hand, along the edge of the 

 furrows, and appealed to, as living oracles of half a cen- 

 tury, on the subject of the coming winners, they shook 

 their heads dubiously, and said that it was all so good 

 that keener and younger eyes than theirs would " be 

 hard-set to decide." And so it proved, as the waggon 

 which was to serve as the prize platform had been 

 long wheeled into the field, and set in position, before 

 the judges (who had been busy in the morning among 

 turnips, mangel wurzels, and cottagers' vegetables) 

 could make their minds up at all. Just when they 

 seemed to have hit it, some fresh doubt was raised, and 

 away they patiently trudged, under " the sun's perpen- 

 dicular heat," across the furrows once more. At length, 

 when the fiat was given, Mr. Ingram mounted 

 the waggon with his friends, and after the prizes had 

 been read out by the secretary, gave a short, telling 

 address to the winners, and the labourers generally. 

 Among other things, he remarked that he never cared 

 very much to see prizes given for long service ; in fact, 

 that he liked to see the married servants become 



masters, instead of being ill service year after year — 

 and the unmarried girls leaving service as soon as they 

 prudently could, and getting a husband and a house of 

 their own. He aUo pointed out to the employers how 

 much it behoved them, even for their own interests, to 

 husband the jjowcrs of their labourers ; and by build- 

 ing cottages for them nearer their farms, to save them 

 those long weary journeys to and fro, which so fearfully 

 fap their strength, and make them rheumatic and old 

 ill their prime. The speech was very warmly received 

 by the crowd of upturned faces below, who sent forth 

 many a hearty " Bravo" at the allusions to the cottages, 

 showing how much they have felt and suffered with re- 

 gard to this great question of social polity. No other 

 speech was delivered there ; and amid the creaking, but, 

 alas ! not inapt exhortation from an old fiddle, to "Fol- 

 low the lad with the tvhite cocJtadc," the company 

 dispersed; and the labourers fell gallantly back on the 

 beer-barrels, which were lazily resting in a regular 

 gipsy encampment of carts behind, and pledged in 

 bumpers the ploughing heroes of the day. 



The committee and their friends, including Captain 

 O'Connell, M.P. (son of the illustrious " Ould Dan"), 

 and several other visitors from a distance, sat down, 

 nearly fifty strong, to an admirable dinner, at the 

 White Swan, Rickmansworth, under the presidency of 

 Mr. Ingram. In the course of the evening (which 

 was not a little enlivened by Mr. Broadwater's songs), 

 the chairman, with his wonted generosity, an- 

 nounced his intention of next year placing a silver cup 

 at the disposal of the committee, to be competed for by 

 tenant-farmers, upon terms to be settled hereafter ; and 

 from what transpired, coupled with the flourishing 

 state of the funds, it seems not improbable that 

 the next meeting will be on a much more extensive 

 scale, and will include an exhibition of stock. The 

 latter point was very strongly urged by the gentleman 

 who responded to the toast of " The Judges." A more 

 firmly-knit or better managed society is not to be 

 found, and it only needs right strenuous co-operation 

 on the part of the tenant-farmers, to give it a high 

 place among its compeers. That support will, however, 

 we are convinced, not be lacking, and we shall look 

 forward with no small interest to " see what we shall 

 see" at its next festival. 



PRESENTATION OF THE MECHI TESTIMONIAL. 



The union of Agriculture, Manufactures, and Com- 

 merce is at length properly cemented. In the last few 

 weeks of his stewardship we are called together to ho- 

 nour one of the Sheriffs of London for what he has 

 done. In becoming deference to the fashion of the 

 times we present him with a testimonial. There might 

 be various reasons for offering this. It might be given, 

 as it has been to many a man before now, in appre- 

 ciation of the spirit tmd determination he has dis- 

 played in making his own fortune. Or, it might have 



come here with especial grace, as some thanks for 

 unbounded hospitality arid hearty good fellowship. 

 Or, again, with equal fitness, the tribute could have 

 been made to stand as some acknowledgment for the 

 manner in which the worthy citizen has fulfilled the 

 duties of his position. We could dwell upon the zeal 

 and activity he has shown during a more than usually 

 active year of office — the smartness of his liveries — the 

 style of his equipage— the excellence of his dinners, 

 and many other such important items in the constitu- 



