THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



519 



connexion with the toast of " Success to Agriculture," 

 said his object in making the remarks last year, to 

 which reference had just been made, was to give a prac- 

 tical turn to the anniversary of the Association. The 

 real object of the Society was to enable the members lo 

 meet in friendly competition and discuss practical mat- 

 ters, not to exercise themselves in useless recrimination. 

 He had had the honour of being a judge of the roots on 

 the present occasion, and he must say with regard to the 

 turnips that he believed they were inferior in quality, 

 und 10 tons per acre less iu weight than last year. The 

 mangold wurzel, on the contrary, was the best crop he 

 had ever seen ; and he would put it to them whether it 

 would not answer the purpose of the farmers better to 

 cultivate that crop, now that the demand for beef was 

 gaining on the supply, and as the root was one which 

 might be consumed at all times of the year. With re- 

 gard to the cart-horses shown, he might say that six 

 weeks since he had travelled in the North of England 

 with the view of finding a better horse than they had in 

 Norfolk ; but he could find nothing better than the 

 Norfolk horse. Its great deficiency was its sluggish- 



ness, and he believed the briskness observed in the 

 Northumberland horses was caused by the difference of 

 feeding. In Northumberland a greater quantity of solid 

 food was given to the horse, and the stomach of the 

 animal was not distended with cut hay, pollard, and all 

 'sorts of rubbish. If the same system were pursued in 

 Norfolk, a greater quantity of work would be obtained 

 from their horses. 



The conviviality of the evening was kept up for some 

 time longer, several other complimentary toasts being 

 proposed and responded to, not forgetting the Hon. H. 

 Harland, the master of the local harriers. The event of 

 the evening was undoubtedly the little ironical passage 

 at arms between Mr. Beare and Mr. Cubitt. The for- 

 mer gentleman seems to have been cogitating his sarcasms 

 at Mr. Cubitt's expense for the last twelve months ; 

 his declaration at the last meeting that "as he was a 

 very unlearned man he had better keep in his seat," 

 having excited some attention at the moment. Agricul- 

 tural associations, like Christmas, come but once a-year; 

 so agricultural Disraelis and Gladstones have to bide 

 their tirne^ 



BATH AND WEST OF ENGLAND SOCIETY 



FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURE, ARTS, MANUFACTURES, AND COMMERCE, 



A monthly meeting of the Council of this Society waa held 

 on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Waghoru's Hotel, Taunton, John 

 SiUifant, Esq., of Coombe, Crediton, in the chair. There were 

 also present Messrs. T. D. Acland, W. W. Addiugton, D. 

 Adair, C. C. AVilliams, T. B. Morle, S. J. Oldrieve, T. Dan- 

 ger, R. May, W. Thompson, J. E. Knollys, R. N. Grenville, 

 J. Balficld, B. Gray, John Grey, J. H. Cotterell, S. Pitman, 

 G. Bullock, M. Farrant, T. Hussey, J. Widdicombe, H. G. 

 Moysey, C. Gordon, W. Wippell, J. T. Davy, &c., &c. 



The VETEurNAR-x Inspector, — The committee appointed 

 at a recent meeting to consider and report to the council 

 generally on the office and duties of the veterinary inspector, 

 it was stated, had not beeu able to complete their inquiries, 

 and the question therefore stood over for the present. 



The Annual Meeting op 1838.— The committee ap- 

 pointed to select the trial-fields and make other arrangements 

 for the Cardiff Meeting were not prepared to report to the 

 council, but expressed their inteutioa of proceeding to Cardiff 

 in the ensuing week, for the purpose of making the necessary 

 arrangements. The chairman of the committee (Mr. Sillifant) 

 reported that he had communicated with Mr. Richards, the 

 agent of the Marchioness of Bute, with respect to the field 

 Belected by the committee (south side of Cathayes Park) 

 for the purposes of the show-yanl, and that her lady- 

 ship in the most handsome manner had entirely concurred 

 iu the views of the council, and granted that portion of the 

 estate wiich they had deemed best adapted for the show. 



The Prize Sheets. — The report of the committee ap- 

 pointed to prepare the Stock and Implement Prize-sheet for 

 the ensuing meeting waa brought up and discussed at great 

 length. The stock prizes were, with some additions, agreed 

 to ; those for implementa being referred back to the committee. 



The sum of teu guineas was presented to the Council by Mr. 

 T. G. Clarke, of Dowlais House, South Wales, to he offered aa 

 a premium " for the best Essay on the maintenance of Horsca 

 used in Iron Works," under such regulations aa the Council 

 may hereafter decide. Two active members of the Council- 

 Mr. Thomas Dyke Acland, and Mr. Jonathan Gray — also 

 placed at the disposal of the Prize Committee the sum of £5 

 each, to be awarded as prizes for the best specimen of a pecu- 

 liar wove fabric manufactured in the Principality, 

 Mr. Knollys proposed that the council do take into considera- 

 tion the advisability or otherwise of continuing the present 

 system of awarding implement prizes, and the motion produced 

 considerable discussion. It waa the general opinion that a 

 question of so much importance should not be hastily decided 

 on, and as there was uot time to give the requisite public 

 notice previous to the next annual meeting, the subject waa 

 postponed, with a view to its being maturely considered prior 

 to the exhibition of 1859. It was resolved, on the motion of 

 Mr. Gray, that a programme and other details of the Cardiff 

 Meeting, and the shipping and railway arrangements for the 

 transit of stock and implements, be referred to the prize sheet 

 committee, and that the same be forthwith issued together with 

 the prize sheets. 



New Members. — The following new members were 

 elected: Right. Hon. II. Labouchere, M.P., Colonial Secre- 

 tary, Stowey, Bridgwater; Capt. Hugh Jenner, Wenvoe 

 Castle, Glamorgan ; Mr. Robert Lane, jun. Shobrooke, Devon ; 

 Mr. Edward Handy, Sierford, near Cheltenham ; Mr. William 

 Nell, CErdiff; Mr. Clement Bush, Weston, near Bath; Mr 

 Thoa. Hitchcock, Brendon Hill Farm, Wiveliscombe ; Mr. 

 William Frost, Coombe Farm, Bradwinch, CoUumpton ; Mr. 

 Scott Preaton, Leigh, Chumleigh, Devon ; Mr. W. R. Bishop, 

 Exeter ; Mr. J. R. Hussey, Waybrook, Exeter. 



N N 2 



