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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



COGGESHALL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The annual meeting of the Coggeshall and United Parishes 

 Agricultural Society took place November 17th, and was well 

 attended by the neighbouring agriculturists. The ploughing 

 land-ditching, and show of garden produce took place upon the 

 Bury Farm, in the occupation of Mr. E. Catchpod, who pro- 

 vided an excellent luncheon for the visitors. There were 31 

 ploughs in the field, and the work performed in excellent 

 style ; the show of garden productions by the labourers was 

 lar^e in quantity, and excellent in quality. lu the absence of 

 W. P. Honywood, Esq., the President, the prizes were distri- 

 buted by F. U. Pattisson, Esq., and a few words of encourage- 

 ment and advice were delivered to the labourers by J. J. 

 Mechi, Esq. 



In the afternoon about 40 gentlemen dined together at the 

 White Hart Inn, under the presidency of Osgood Hanbury, 

 Esq. After the usual loyal toasts. 



The Chairman said the next toast was emphatically the 

 toast of the evening. It was " Success to the Coggeshall and 

 United Parishes Agricultural Society," He was highly 

 pleased at seeing so large and influential a meeting as that now 

 assembled, and though not all agriculturists by profession, yet 

 they were all agriculturists by nature, for he was quite sure 

 they would not come there unless they felt a deep interest in 

 the society (cheers). He wished he was more skilled in agri- 

 culture, that he might say something which would interest and 

 be of service to them, but be was glad to say his inexperience 

 was more than supplied by the kind friends around him, who 

 were well qualified to enlighten their minds upon this impor- 

 tant topic. Mr. Mechi would be ready to answer any question 

 which might be put to him ; for himself he was but a young 

 agriculturist, but at the same time he would not yield to any 

 one in his fondness for the field as well as the shop, and he 

 would seek to cultivate his small farm to the best of his 

 ability. As cultivators of the soil, they had many difficulties 

 to conflict with, arising from seasons and other causes ; but 

 they could not farm against seasons, for if they could they 

 should be lord paramount, and strive to take the place of the 

 Great Disposer of all things, who sent down His rain when and 

 where He pleased. At present the prices of corn were going 

 somewhat against them ; but they must be satisfied with what 

 they had, for they had been blessed with a large crop, and 

 that, too, had been gathered in under the most favourable cir- 

 cumstancea, the corn and hay harvest never having been a 

 more favourab'e one than during the present year. 



The Chairman proposed '-Success to Agricultural So- 

 cieties at home and abroad, coupling with it the name of M. 

 de Trehonnais." (Cheers.) 



M. de Trehonnais, in a long speech, responded to the 

 toast, drawing attention to the striking contrast between the 

 cultivators of the soil upon the continent of France and those 

 of England, no such a class of individuals as tenant farmers 

 cf England being found beyond the shores of Britain. Agri- 

 cultural societies existed iu almost every corner of England, 

 but they were impossible in France from the simple fact that 

 there was no class of men like the tenant farmers from whom 

 the ranks of such societies were filled up, and such institutions 

 could not be brought into existence unless the ideas of the 

 French were completely changed, and an education revolution 

 ■were produced. 

 Mr, F. U. Pattisson proposed "The health of Osgood 



Hanbury, Esq., their Chairman," which was drunk with cheers. 

 The Chairman responded. 



The Chairman then called upon the company to drink 

 " The health of Mr, Wm. Fisher Hobbs, the founder of their 

 society," who had been a great example to every Englishman 

 'n farming in all its branches, whether iu the breeding of stock, 

 the attention paid to the state of his farm, and in every other 

 way, he could only say that Mr. Hobbs was a first-rate farmer. 

 (Drunk with cheers.) 



Mr. W. Fisher Hobbs, in acknowledging the compli- 

 ment, said it was true that he was in some respects the founder 

 of the society, for he considered it was his duty to do so, and 

 moreover, he felt a pleasure in taking an active part in pro- 

 moting the welfare of that and a kindred institution. About 

 twenty-eight years ago, there was a strong feeling amongst the 

 farmers in that neighbourhood that each possessed the best 

 roots in the country. As that could not be, he proposed that 

 they should have a sweepstakes, and their first show commenced 

 with half-a-score of roots ; but very shortly afterwards, they found 

 they had a very fine collection of roots, which attracted con- 

 siderable notice. The noise of this quickly spread, and 

 the landlords, as well as the tenant-farmers, gave their 

 support, and then this society was established, and by 

 the assistance of many present he was enabled to carry out 

 the duties of honorary secretary to a society that had been 

 carried on so successfully to the present time. A few years 

 ago, and there were in existence the Saffron Walden Society, 

 the Chelmsford and West Essex, the Colchester and East 

 Essex Societies, and the Braintree Farmers' Chib ; but they 

 had all dwindled away, yet the Coggeshall Society stood, and 

 that ought to be matter of encouragement to them. He quite 

 concurred in the sentiment which the chairman had expressed 

 in reference to the importance of making these meetings oc- 

 casions of acquiring practical knowledge, and with that end in 

 view it would be well that the society should be resuscitated. 

 He remembered the discussions which took place at the meet- 

 ing of the Braintree Farmers' Club, when Mr. Smith of Dean- 

 stone attended, aud enunciated his principles of drainage, then 

 but little known, and when other practical questions, including 

 the removal of pollard trees,were discussed to great advantage; 

 aud had that club continued ia existence to the present mo- 

 ment, it would have been the means of dilTusinga vast amount 

 of important agricultural knowledge. But there was then a 

 great prejudice, and one or two of the landlords went so far 

 as to say that if their tenants continued members of this club 

 they should cease their tenancy. Those were the old preju- 

 dices, but they died away, and landlords found that the more 

 men belonged to a club, the more knowledge and information 

 they acquired, aud that they were thereby qualified to take 

 the lead in the district in which they lived. Mr. Fisher Hobbs 

 then alluded to several gentlemen who rendered him great 

 assistance iu the early management of the society, and ex- 

 pressed his opinion, from his acquaintance with French agri- 

 culturists, that there was amongst them a growing spirit of 

 intelligence and enquiry, and unless Englishmen would go 

 a-head they would find the Frenchman close upon their heels. 

 He expressed iha pleasure he felt at again meeting them, and 

 concluded by proposing " The health of Mr. Pattisson, the 

 Vice-Chairman." 

 In replying to the toast, Mr. Pattisson concluded by pro- 



