THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



417 



Mr. Painter returned thanks, atatiiig that m 1841, he, as 

 a farmer's son, took the first cup given by the Earl of Gains- 

 borough (cheers). 



Mr. Shield proposed "The Committee of Management," 

 coupling with the toast the name of Mr. Law, who responded. 

 Glee—" Fill the shining Goblet." 

 Mr. WoKTLEY, iu highly complimentary terms, gave the 

 health of that distinguished friend of British agriculture, " Mr. 

 Fov.ler," with thanks to him for the exhibition of his steam 

 plough. The toast was drunk with great enthusiasm. 



The Chairman said he was sorry to announce that Mr. 

 Fowler was not present. He had to pack up his machinery and* 

 leave for Lancashire. The Chairman then proposed "The 

 Plough-makers," mentioning a plough made by Messrs. Ran- 

 some, which had attracted considerable notice from its being 

 drawn by a pony. 



Mr. A. Ransome (who was received with loud applause) 

 responded at some length. His grandfather, he believed, was 

 one of the earliest to turn his attention to improving the con- 

 struction of the plough, to simplifying the details, and to 

 making its parts of such a character as that the farmer might 

 keep them in his own granary, and put them together without 

 the trouble of carrying them to the blacksmith. That was now 

 half a century ago (cheers). It was in the recollection of their 

 worthy friend the President that something like thirty years 

 ago the first idea was begotten for the establishment of this as- 

 sociation. He (Mr. R.) was present when the idea was 

 mooted, and for many years he had the pleasure of occasionally 

 meeting his agricultural friends on these occasions. He also 

 attended the twentieth anniversary; and he thought he had a 

 right to claim some close connection with their association, 

 v/heu he could show that he assisted to nurse it in its cradle, 

 and at that time as was supposed followed it to its grave. He, 

 however, was happy to find that, like the phcenix, it had risen 

 from its ashes, and grown stronger with its years; and now, 

 if they understood its value, notwithstanding all the steam 

 ploughs that might ever be invented, they would remain 

 a society as long as agriculture had any part in the plough, or 

 the plough any part in agriculture (loud cheers), la the al- 

 lusion which had been made to the steam plough, he was glad 

 to have an opportunity on behalf of his absent friend, Mr. 

 Fowler, to say how deeply gratified that gentleman would feel 

 that his exertions in that direction had been so kindly and so 

 thoroughly appreciated. He (Mr. Ransome) was sure that 

 every one who had watched Mr. Fowler's struggles in endea- 

 vouring to bring forward the steam plough, must feel con- 

 vinced that he had been and was a great benefactor to agricul- 

 ture (cheers). Mr. Ransome proceeded to trace the progress 

 of invention iu the application of steam to the purpose of agri- 

 culture from the middle of the last century to the present time, 

 describmg the chief machines which had been invented, and the 

 difliculties the inventors had experienced. He said they had 

 now before them three schemes, into which all the various no- 

 tions put forward at different times relative to steam ploughing 

 had resolved themselves, the first being that which should drag 

 the implement through the land by means of a traction rope ; 

 the second, passing over the land, and containing in itself an 

 instrument to turn up and pulverize the soil ; and the third, that 

 of Mr. Eoydell, dragging the plough behind it. He (Mr. 

 Ransome) was glad to find that after we had witnessed 

 jealousies of all sorts in connection with the progress of inven- 

 tion, these three plans had fallen into the hands of three men 

 in whose composition jealousy formed no part ; Mr. Crosskill 

 advocating one, Mr. Boydell another, and Mr. Fowler being 

 not a whit behind another; and all these were endeavouring 

 each, without prejudice to the other, to maintain that which 



they believed best. He (Mr. Ransome) had always said that 

 however good the other schemes might be, the best was that 

 of Mr. Fowler, and such he still believed to be the fact. He 

 did not by any means say that the others might not ultimately 

 be better ; but this he did say, that Mr. Fowler's plough was 

 more nearly within their grasp (cheers). In bringing before 

 them the steam plough on that occasion, he wished it to be 

 understood that they did not come in any spirit of rivalry to 

 the hand plough. It was not to be supposed that the former 

 would entirely supersede the latter invention, any more than 

 the invention of printing would supersede the art of writing. 

 They might depend upon it that as long as English land had to 

 be cultivated, English hands would be needed over a very great 

 portion of it ; and they would, therefore, do wisely by endea- 

 vouring to perfect the instrument that could be so used 

 (cheers) Mr. Ransome concluded an energetic and effective 

 speech by proposing the health of the chairman, Mr. Baker, 

 whom, he was sure, they would be delighted at all times to 

 honour (cheers). 



The Chairman, in reply, expressed the pleasure he had 

 derived from endeavouring to promote improvements in the 

 agriculture of the county of Rutland, and referred to the ob- 

 jections which were raised when he first pointed out the possi- 

 bility of ploughing with two horses instead of three or four. 

 He did not expect to live long enough to see horses superseded 

 by steam to any great extent in agricultural operations, but 

 he did anticipate the time when the use of portable steam 

 engines would become more general, and when they would 

 travel from one farm to another without horses. The Chair- 

 man concluded by proposing " Prosperity to the Town and 

 Trade of Uppingham," coupling with the toast the name of Mr, 

 Healy (cheers). 



Mr. Healy responded in a brief but humorous speech, iu 

 the course of which he remarked that they had been told that 

 Rutland was the " dark county ;" but if there was any darkness 

 on that occasion, it was because the great county gentry had 

 not come forward to shed upon them the sunshine of their 

 presence (laughter and cheers). 



The Rev. E. Turing proposed the last toast on the list, 

 "The President of the Rutland Agricultural Society, the Earl 

 of Gainsborough." In the course of an address of some length, 

 the rev. gentleman dwelt upon the importance of training and 

 educating servants for the work they had to perform, and ex- 

 pressed the pleasure it afforded him to find that it would go 

 forth to the world that the farmers of Rutland welcomed the 

 steam plough instead of sneering at it (cheers). 



The Hon. H. Noel returned thanks on behalf of the noble 

 Earl, his father. 



Thuj terminated a highly successful meeting. 



PROFITS REALIZED BY THE EXPORTATION OF 

 BREEDING STOCK TO THE UNITED STATES.— A 

 short time since we noticed the shipment of a number of 

 breeding animals for Illinois, in the United States. The stock 

 referred to consisted, as we then stated, of 82 animals, which 

 had been selected with great care and skill, and pur- 

 chased at large prices, by three gentlemen who came 

 over from the State in question for the purpose. 

 These gentlemen. Dr. Johns, Mr. Jacoby, and Mr. Brown , 

 traversed England, Ireland, and Scotland, in quest of stock 

 suitable for their object ; and these they purchased, wherever 

 met with, without restriction as to price. The result was a 

 purchase of eighty-tvro animals in all, viz.; two entire horses 



