!,TfIE FARMER'S MAGAZINEi 



15 



at the advance which had been made. At the same 

 time, the high qualifications of the judges would 

 render it incumbent on those who had the con- 

 struction of the mechanism of agriculture to use their 

 best endeavours, that what had hitherto been done in 

 that respect should, if possible, be surpassed. There 

 never was a time when competition was so great, or 

 when improvement was so essential. At the show yard at 

 Chester there were more tlian one bundled engines 

 entered for competition. AVhy, it seemed but yesterday 

 since they first saw at Bristol only one engine (Hear, 

 hear). Could any stronger evidence be afforded of the 

 progress which had been made in the mechanical depart- 

 ment ? Of the stock it was unnecessary to speak with 

 such an illustration as they had befoi'e them in the show 

 of the present week ; and, without detaining them any 

 further, he would propose, "The Royal Agricultural 

 Society of England," coupled with the name of Mr. 

 Robert Smith (Cheers). 



Mr. R. Smith felt it a great honour to represent 

 the noble society which had been so ably brought 

 under their notice. About twenty years had elapsed 

 since that society was formed, the Chester Meeting 

 being, he believed,- the twentieth ; and he was happy to 

 say that he was one of the first seventy members, and 

 had been an active member of the society ever since ; 

 and therefore he could bear out what Mr. Tuxford had 

 said with regard to improvement. That gentleman had 

 alluded to the Oxford Meeting, Why, at Chester they 

 saw broad acres covered with implements and cattle ; 

 they saw English agriculture properly represented, not 

 only in the view of their fellow-countrymen, but also 

 before foreigners. (Hear, hear). He felt that he stood 

 there as an officer of a national society, and as an 

 Englishman he felt proud of the position which that 

 society occupied. All the world looked to it as a beacon 

 and a guide ; all the world looked to it for instruction 

 in the art and science of agriculture, in machinery, and 

 in the various breeds of animals, la the Smithfield 

 Show they saw how much had been done, in a great 

 degree through the instrumentality of the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society, to improve their animals ; and now 

 they had not only the most splendid English breeds, but 

 also every variety of crosses. It was not long since the 

 Smithfield Show was held in Goswell-str-eet, where it 

 occupied a very small space ; and on that very day, in 

 consequence of the increasing interest which was felt in 

 the exhibition, it had been determined that they should 

 look out for a larger building. They were, as Mr, 

 Tuxford had intimated, living in an age of progress, 

 and a new era was dawning upon the world, and they 

 might depend upon it that if they did not move onward 

 others would soon take their places. The Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society was a society which had moved in 

 troubled waters ; but, looking back to the Chester 

 Meeting, and considering how much money was taken 

 there, he felt that it was now in a promising position in 

 relation to the future. As farmers, they must not forget 

 that useful publication — the Society's "Journal." 

 (Hear, hear). If the discussions at the Farmers' Club 

 were interesting and valuable, it should be borne in 

 mind that in the " Journal" were treated important, 

 difficult, and intricate subjects of the utmost im- 

 portance to all agriculturists, and he had no hesitation 

 in saying that there was scarcely a paper in the 

 " Journal" that would not repay a second reading. If 

 the management of the Society had in some respects 

 not been all that was desired, the Council were now 

 grappling with their difficulties, and increased support 

 on the part of farmers would be an encouragement to 

 them to go forward in the right direction. (Cheers). 



Mr. Alderman Mechi had to propose " The Smith- 

 field Club"-— a toast which be felt peculiar pleasure ia 



proposing, because he regarded its gradual increase as 

 a type of agricultural progress. At a former period in 

 the hisiory of the Smithfield Club, to which he hoped 

 they all belonged, many persons exhibited their animals 

 with the belief that they were the best in the world, and 

 when the judges did not even commend them, went 

 away no doubt feeling rather ashamed of themselves 

 and wishing to do better in future. He hoped that 

 what had thus occurred with regard to animals would 

 occur with regard to a great many farms. Certain it 

 was that wherever criticism had been brought to bear 

 most upon agriculture, there improvement was most 

 manifest ; and he hoped that this source of progress 

 would prove more and more beneficial to agriculture. 

 The public were greatly indebted to the gentlemen who 

 established the Smithfield Club, and to those whose 

 great talents had ensured its prosperity. In using the 

 expression " great talents" his object was, he confessed, 

 to connect the toast with the name of Mr. Jonas Webb 

 (cheers), and he must say that although they had not 

 yet arrived at anything like perfection in "agriculture, 

 they had, through the exertions of Mr. Jonas Webb, 

 the Duke of Richmond, and others, come very near 

 perfection as regarded Southdown sheep. (Cheers). 

 As regarded agriculture generally, he could not help 

 saying that he considered it as yet in its infancy, more 

 especially in buildings and implements. However much 

 he might be ridiculed he must always express his honest 

 convictions ; and he did hope that now that they had 

 got their stock nearly into a right state — and that it 

 was so no one could doubt who had seen the present 

 show — they would exert themselves to get the buildings 

 right, so that they might harmonize with those beautiful 

 animals which were the admiration of the world. 

 (Cheers). He thought that the Smithfield Club showed 

 them, after all, only the sunny side of agriculture ; but, 

 not wishing to take them on that occasion into the shade, 

 he would at once propose that they should drink " The 

 Smithfield Club," coupled with the name of Mr, Jonas 

 Webb, and long might that gentleman be spared to 

 be as useful to the agriculture of the world as he had 

 been. (Cheers). 



Mr. Jonas Webb, as a member of the Smith- 

 field Club, and as one of the stewards of the past year, 

 begged to thank them for the manner in which they 

 had received the toast. He must in one respect follow 

 the example of Mr. Tuxford. That gentleman said he 

 hoped there was no person in that room who would not 

 exert himself to secure additional members for the 

 Royal Agricultural Society. He (Mr. Webb) would 

 express a similar hope in reference to the Smithfield 

 Club. The committee had just offered an additional 

 inducement to join the club, having granted to every 

 member permission to have a private view on the day on . 

 which the judges made their awards. Such an offer 

 could not fail to be tempting, as a private view of the 

 animals when they were undisturbed, and there was 

 nothing to distract attention, was worth all the rest of 

 the show. (Hear, hear). As had been previously re- 

 marked, the place of exhibition had now become too 

 small, the club having grown as it were out of itself, 

 and a better site might be found both for the public and 

 the stock. There was an arrangement with the pro- 

 prietor of the present Show-yard for a certain period, 

 but before that time had expired efforts would be made 

 to secure a more suitable place. In the pursuit of that 

 object, however, it would be borne in mind that the 

 exhibition must be made self-supporting. It had been 

 determined, too, that there should be three additional 

 judges, the work having been too hard for the number 

 who acted previously. In conclusion, he would again 

 express a hope that all present who were not members 

 of the Smithfield Club would soon become such. 



