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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



the difficulty. It was now twenty years since he first attended ! 

 such meetings, and he thought there was nothin<? to regret in 

 the constitution and conduct of such societies. They had lived 

 through and borne down much opposition, agriculture had 

 been advanced, and he could truly say a better uuderstauding 

 between landlord and tenant had been obtained ; they were 

 never on a more healthy footing, and long might they con- 

 tinue so. This being so a good case was made cut for such 

 societies, if they had no other ground for satisfaction. But 

 there was another class who were benefited — those on whom 

 they must, notwithstanding all their improvements, depend 

 for the daily bread they eat — the labouring classes. He had 

 never attended such a meeting, where the advancement of the 

 rural population had been unrecognized or not practically met; 

 and, though they might not be faultless — not such monsters as 

 the world never saw, beings without a fault, but, like them- 

 selves, having some faults of their own — they never evinced 

 more attachment to our social system, and willingness to do 

 their best in promoting the production of the soil. Yet a few 

 years ago they were told everything was tending to depreciate 



the attachment of the rural population, that they would cease 

 to have any claims upon our gratitude and admiration. They 

 were also told that, with larger imports and less restricted 

 commerce, peace would spread her halcyon wing throughout 

 the world, and they should hear of war no more. Those living 

 among the old oaks and cultivated acres in the country had 

 some little doubtful prejudice on the point, and subsequent 

 events had shown plainly enough, perhaps, that they were the 

 better judges. Instancing the hardships and dangers of the 

 Crimea, the hon. gentleman claimed for soldiers from the rural 

 populations that they constituted the chief strength of our 

 army, in their powers of endurance of the vicissitudes of cli- 

 mate and the fatigues of long marches, where men from ma- 

 nufacturing or civic populations became exhausted. It had 

 been the custom to ruu the rural population down, and he had 

 often been struck with the glibness with which town popula- 

 tions eulogized their advanced civilization over that of the rural 

 districts, but none were more moderate in prosperity or patient 

 and enduring in adversity, or more the mainstay of our army 

 at the present time. 



THE WITHAM AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



However good, bad, or indifferent the agriculture of 

 thfe district may really be, Essex is at any rate famous 

 for talking of the art. Tlie county positively abounds 

 in orators. There is the very Nestor of them all, Mr. 

 Robert Baker, to begin with ; in nice antithesis to that 

 more modern light, Mr. Sheriff Mechi. Then there is 

 Mr. Fisher Hobbs, who, however, says more " in an- 

 other place" than he does at home ; " the hard prac- 

 tical" Mr. Hutley, as he has been called — the 

 gallant Major Beresford — the reverend John Cox — 

 the honourable M.P., Mr. Bramston — all ever 

 ready to make farmers and farming at least the 

 text-word of their discoursing. It is only fair to add 

 that in few quarters is the subject treated in a 

 more business-like manner. It was the country of all 

 others for Mr. Mechi to start his theories and pro- 

 pound his discoveries. They were sure to be tested. 

 If there was anything right or wrong about them, it was 

 certain to come out. Before he rooted them up, there 

 was always somebody looking over the hedge, to see 

 what wonders their enthusiastic neighbour was 

 achieving. In a word, our friends here do anything 

 but "drop the shop." They rather make it Lord 

 Paramount upon every available opportunity j and 

 there are few public occasions when agriculture has not 

 a hearing and a place. 



Whatever may be the fate or fashion with other 

 gatherings of this autumn, Essex well maintains its 

 charter. There is one Society, especially, that at 

 Witham, where the members continue to meet, with 

 the thorough determination ta talk over their own 

 affairs. After, of course, duly honouring the usual 

 loyal toasts, they " turn to" what they have to discuss, 

 often enough without the formality of any toast at all. 

 For instance, if any one is known to have tried some 

 fresh experiment, or to have been more than commonly 



successful in some branch of his business, a pertinent 

 question is at once put to him. Mr. Mechi was some- 

 what distinguished in this way, either as the challenged 

 or the challenger, with William Hutlry as duly in- 

 structed to cross-examine. The reporters, moreover— 

 and we have to honestly compliment the representatives 

 of the leading county papers — have been by no means 

 satisfied with " after a few practical remarks from 

 Mr. So-and-So," or with "A desultory conversation then 

 ensued." On the contrary, they carefully take down 

 this question and answer, by which a reader frequently 

 gathers as much in three lines as he otherwise would 

 in a column. Mr. A. does not feel it necessary to say 

 that he " is unexpectedly called on," or that " this is 

 the proudest moment of his life," or that " so tho- 

 roughly unaccustomed as he is to addressing a public 

 meeting, he only hopes they will excuse his speaking 

 for an hour and a-half." They don't countenance this 

 sort of thing at Witham. But Mr. A. says to Mr. B., 

 " What about that seed-wheat you made so much of?" 

 And Mr. B., " with a simplicity of purpose" that does 

 high honour to that cabalistic phrase, straightway re- 

 plies, " Well, look here, I'll tell you." 



It is a pleasant thing to note that this kind of discussion 

 is not solely maintained by the farmers themselves. 

 Although wanting even, as it lately has, the attractive 

 vivacity and opposing principles of Mr. Mechi, these 

 meetings still prosper. To be sure there is no one en- 

 gages in them with more heart than the noble Lord who 

 presides here. No one could set them going in a better 

 spirit, or keep up the ball more agreeably or usefully 

 than does my Lord Rayleigh. His Lordship, however, 

 is himself a practical farmer, with a little liking for 

 progress ; and who so takes a pleasure in what he is 

 doing. He grows wheat upon the Lois-Weedon system, 

 and comes — or did come last week— to tell Mr. Hutley 



