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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



gretted that he had been called upon to propose the resolution, 

 wishing that the duty had been entrusted to their excellent 

 vice-president, Mr. Foote, who was much more competent to 

 do 80, and had been listened to with so much pleasure on 

 many occasions (Hear, hear). They were indebted to the Royal 

 Dublin Society for having been the first to introJuce gentlemen 

 from the other side of the water to act as judges, inasmuch 

 as it gave confidence to exhibitors that they would at all 

 events have impartiality. He did not mean to say that there 

 were not gentlemen in this country who were perfectly com- 

 petent in every respect to fulfil and to decide as to the re- 

 lative merits of the various classes of stock exhibited; but 

 it might be said that their judgment was influenced by local 

 circumatauces, whereas no such objection could apply to 

 judges from the sister-country (Hear, hear). Another ad- 

 vantage of that course was that it kept up the connecting tie 

 between the agricultural societies of England, Ireland, and 

 Scotland (Hear); and they might expect that these judges 

 would fearlessly state their opinions, and tell the people of 

 Ireland whether they were improving or going back in agri- 

 cultural pursuits. These annual shows had another valuable 

 effect. If Irishmen were merely competing with one another, 

 the same attention would not be devoted to the breeding of 

 cattle that was now rendered necessary, in order to compete 

 with the markets of the empire ; and it was a gratifying fact 

 that Dublin was considered the best market for obtaining prices 

 (Hear, hear). To give some idea of the effects to which he 

 had alluded on the country, he would read a return to show the 

 immense increase that had taken place in the number of 

 cattle produced. It was connected with the railway in which 

 he was moat interested ; but he was sure the Midland Com- 

 pany could furnish a still larger return. In the year 1847 

 there were carried on the Great Southern and Western Rail- 

 was 48,000 head of cattle. In 1850, when the line was open 

 to Cork, 108,000-, and in 1853, 332,000 (applause). 

 These figures, he thought, showed some of the satisfactory 

 results of the agricultural shows; and they owe! a deep 

 debt of gratitude to the Royal Dablia Society for the suc- 

 cessful effort it had made to promote them (Hear, hear)- 

 He trusted that agriculturists, encouraged by the progress in 

 the feeding of cattle, would also compete in improving the 

 condition of their farms. Within one year, that nasty chan- 

 nel wliich divided the two countries wovdd, he might say, be 

 bridged across ; and although there might be differences of 

 opinion as to what harbour should be selected for the Trans- 

 atlantic packet station, there could be scarcely a doubt that 

 Ireland would become the great high road to America, and 

 that would add materially to the travelling population of this 

 country (Hear, hear). He had, in conclusion, to move a 

 vote of thanks to those gentlemen who had ended their la- 

 bours as judges, by giving perfect satisfaction to all putties 

 (applause). 



Mr. C. Hamilton seconded the motion, which was passed 

 by acclamation, on the suggestion of the Earl of Clancarty. 



Mr, Smith, in returning thanks, said that Sir Edward 

 M'Donnel had told them that the duty of the judges was a 

 very disagreeable and arduous one. He assured them it was 

 so; but he had imposed ou hira a still more disagreeable one 

 (laughter), and on the part of the Englishmen who might be 

 selected by the society to act on future occasion?, he pro- 

 tested against] being called upon to make a speech in a public 

 assembly like that, which was not so easy a task as the other 

 which they had been requested to undertake. He was aware 

 that the judges had a kind of stereotyped speech, but he should 

 best consult convenience by not repeating it now (laughter) ; 

 but though he did not mean to inflict a speech ou them, he 



could not sit down without taking the opportunity of referriog 

 to the great improvement which had been accomplished in the 

 breeding of stock in Ireland through the instrumentality of the 

 Royal Dublin Society. (Hear, hear.) He had had the plea- 

 sure of visiting the city ou several occasions, »ud since he first 

 came— about fifteen years ago— the progress had been astound- 

 ing. (Hear, hear.) There was one feature in the exhibition 

 of that day which he could not help adverting to — namely, that 

 although the entries were, he believed, nearly as large as U3ual> 

 still there was almost an entire absence of those worthless and 

 ordinary-looking animals that he had seen on former occasions 

 (applause). Very few animals had been exhibited in the class 

 of shorthorns that would not, fifteen years ago, have been con- 

 sidered creditable upon almost any man's farm, and he thought 

 that the Royal Dublin Society merited the thanks of the nation 

 at large for having been instrumental in improving — as he had 

 no doubt it had been the means of doing — the breed of cattle 

 in Ireland. (Hear, hear.) It was an extraordinary thing that 

 while in England the breed of shorthorns was almost restricted 

 to certain districts — at any rate was not spread over the 

 country, as it appeared to be in Ireland — he thought he was 

 justified in saying that Ireland appeired to be a nursery of 

 shorthorns ; for whether it were in the beautiful and romantic 

 Kerry, or in the mountains of Wicklow, or the plains of Meath, 

 shorthorns appeared to thrive and flourish everywhere. He 

 presumed it was because this was really and truly the "green 

 isle," and it seemed that where a shorthorn got good grass 

 there it would thrive well. He did not know whether it would 

 be correct to say that this was a country of milk and honey, 

 but he was quite certain that it was a laud of milk and beef 

 (laughter and applause.) 



The Lord Chancellor, on rising, was received with ap- 

 plause. He said — There is one species of live stock, which 

 although not noticed in our list, I think we all take a very 

 deep interest in, and I believe, upon [the character of that 

 stock much of the happiness and prosperity of tiie country 

 depends — I mean the resident nobility and gentry (applause) ; 

 and I want, with your permisaiou, to award a prize this 

 evening, and one that ought to be carried by acclamation, to 

 our noble chairman, who i?, I think, not a bad specimen of 

 that description of live stock (applause). It is a great grati- 

 fication to me to hear the accou'its of the progress of this 

 society and of the progress of the agriculture of Ireland. 

 We see what has been done by science and by art ; and I re- 

 member, some years ago, speaking to the Lord Justice of 

 Appeal about the prospects of Ireland, when they were very 

 much less bright than they are now, and the observations he 

 made were — I am sure I don't trespass on any matter of 

 confidence in mentioning it ; and of all the men I ever met 

 he has the greatest power of emphatic and condensed expres- 

 sion of thought. It was before free trade was established, 

 aud I was speaking at the time of how Ireland was to battle 

 against it. I asked him what he thought about it— whether 

 it was his opinion that we would battle with it and get 

 over it. His first observation waa — " We must accept it 

 whether we will or no" (a laugh) ; and then he said — 

 " My belief is that there are recuperative powers in the 

 soil of Ireland, and if we, like wise men, avail ourselves of 

 the advantages of science and the use of skill and capital, 

 we will more than get over the difllculty" (applause). When 

 I was beginning my career in the House of Commons, Ireland 

 was in a very depressed state ; and everyone was pro- 

 posing his nostrum for the benefit of Ireland, aud there was 

 every variety of theory as to how Ireland was to be relieved. 

 The old plan in Ireland was to cry, " What is government going 

 to do for us ?— what are you going to do for uj in rarlia- 



