THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



59 



meeting, some years ago, that the prize for mountain sheep 

 was not won by sheep from the north, but by some from 

 the late Lord Bagot's farm, in Devonshire (Hear, hear). I 

 may add that Colonel Douglas Pennant has found that the 

 Cheviots, though they do well on dry liilly ground, are not 

 adapted for wet land. As a Welshman, I can inform you 

 that not only is there a larger amount of rainfall in Wales 

 than in England, but that on the sides, and in the vicinity 

 of many of the hills, there is a peaty boggy soil, which it is 

 almost impossible to traverse on horseback ; and such 

 places require a very different kind of animals from those of 

 the drier mountains and downs of England. In speaking of 

 Welsh sheep, I may claim credit for the establishment of a 

 great breed in a part of this country which was formerly 

 iiuder the jurisdiction of the lords of the marches of Wales. 

 I refer to Hereford and Shropshire, where within the last 

 20 years the bi-eed of Shropshire sheep has advanced rapidly 

 towards perfection, and increased numerically to a surprising 

 extent. That is a breed whicli you will find prevailing among 

 the valleys of the borders of Wales, such as the Vale of the 

 Severn. At the same time, I think that in bulk the 

 mountain sheep are gradually increasing, by intermixture 

 with other breeds, and advancing as far as the wet nature 

 of the soil and climate will allow. With respect to the 

 amelioration of the condition of the labourer, I must say 

 that I think this society has, both directly and indirectly, 

 done a great deal already. The improvement of agricul- 

 ture itself is improving the condition of the labourer. 

 (Heai-, hear). I may appeal to your own practical 

 experiences whether all of you do not employ more 

 labourers than your predecessors or fathers did twenty 

 years ago. (Hear, hear). I may appeal to you also whether 

 the rate of wages for agricultural labourers has not 

 increased during the same period (Bear, hear) ; and these 

 two cases, combined with the improved machinery which 

 makes it your interest to cultivate quickness and intelli- 

 gence in individual labourers, are perhaps doing the work 

 of amelioration more soundly, and securely, as well as 

 more rapidly, than any parliamentary legislation could do 

 it. (Hear, hear). In the next year the Leeds local com- 

 mittees, devoting special attention to the improvement of 

 the dwellings of labourers and artizans, will give prizes 

 for the best pair of agricultural cottages that shall be 

 exhibited complete for a cost not exceeding £180. (Hear, 

 hear). They also propose to give prizes for plans for blocks 

 of dwellings suitable for artizans and persons paying a rent 

 of from six to eight pounds a-yeai'. By that means they 

 intend to draw attention to the improvement 

 both of agricultural cottages and of small urban 

 dwellings for the working-classes. As regards par- 

 liamentai-y arrrangements for the improvement of 

 cottages, I may remind you that Acts have been 

 passed from time to time, during the last few years, to 

 enable persons having limited interests in land to charge 

 their estates with permanent improvements, and that in 

 these Acts not only farm-buildings, but cottages are in- 

 cluded, always with the proper restriction that the 

 cottages must he proved to be necessary for the cultivation 

 of the farm or the estate ; so that in that way consider- 

 able jirogress has been made in gradually improving cot- 

 tages and creating a better class of dwellings for labourers. 

 I think I may also say that great improvement has been 

 made in regard to old cottages. A gi-eat many of these are 

 encroachments on the waste, rmi up with timber at a time 

 perhaps when brick and stone were not to be procured, 

 and often with timber of an inferior sort. Iliese cottages 



are generally built on leases for a certain number of lives 

 or a term of years. When the leases fall in, the cottages 

 come back to the estate perhaps nearly worn-out, and with 

 a considerable population attracted by them, and of course 

 it is a matter of time and cost to put them into what 

 would be called tenantable condition. They are often too 

 numerous to be pulled down and rebuilt, while at the same 

 time they are in such a state tliat it is not an easy matter 

 to repair them. I think I may say, however, that in 

 almost all districts thatch is gi-adually being superseded 

 by slate and tUes, and that mud walls are 

 everywhere giving place to bricks or stone. This 

 is itself, as regai'ds the warmth and comfort of 

 cottages, a very great step in advance. Of course, where- 

 ever, through the introduction of railways, materials are 

 cheapened, and cottages made to yield something like a re- 

 turn for the money expended on them, the natural conse- 

 quence will be that owners of land will be able with ease 

 to themselves to build a larger number of cottages. 

 Moreover, if a pressure for cottages now be felt in many 

 dictricts, I must remind you that that is owing not merely 

 to the increased number of labourers employed, but to the 

 circumstance that, in consequence of the progress of society 

 and the gradual elevation of farmers, there is a growing 

 disinclination to have farm-servants living under the far- 

 mer's own roof. This change has thrown an additional 

 burden on the owners of land, with regard to cottages, and 

 it ought to be taken into consideration. As regards the 

 obtaining a survey of agriculture throughout the country, I 

 am inclined to think that that object will be best at- 

 tained by the Society visiting, as it does, a new district 

 every year. With reject to the giving of great rather 

 than small prizes, I am of opinion that we should give such 

 prizes as will be likely to secure implements adapted for the 

 purposes not merely of the large farmer, but also of the 

 farmer whose holding is too small to justify a great outlay. 

 In reference to the last year's prize of lOOl. for the best 

 steam plough, I may remark that the Leeds Local Commit- 

 tee considered that it would be more advantageous to agri- 

 culture for them to expend their money in providing a large 

 tract of ground for a continuous and effective trial of steam 

 ploughs, than to devote it to a prize of large amount. In 

 that opinion the Implement Committee and the Council of 

 this Society entirely concurred ; and the Leeds Coftimittee 

 have undertsken to provide at least 100 acres of land for 

 the trial (Hear, hear). Let me add, with regard to our 

 subscriptions, that three circulars have been sent out this 

 year, and that if any gentleman will be good enough to 

 assist the Secretary in collecting arrears, the Council will 

 feel very thankful to him. I am very much abliged to the 

 learned gentleman (Mr. R. Clarke) who has addressed us in re- 

 lation to sewage — a subject the importance of which can, whe- 

 ther in or out of Parliament, scarcely be overated. I am glad 

 to see that a company has been established during this year 

 for the purpose of testing this sewage question practi- 

 cally, by ascertaining whether or not sewage can be made 

 remunerative in] the neighbourhood of Croydon, which, I 

 need scarcely say, is very accessible, and therefore well 

 adapted for such an experiment. At the same time I may re- 

 mark that on that subject, as well as other topics connected 

 with engineering, we have seen controversies in the news- 

 papers between different engineers, and as strong evidence 

 for and against the scheme proposed as ever was given be- 

 fore a parliamentary committee with regard to two disputed 

 lines of railways (Laughter). The question is one for care- 

 ful enquiry ; and whatever may be the result, a considerable 



