60 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



time must, I think, elapse before any plan can be matured 

 which would be generally avilable in the neighbourhood of 

 all our populous towns (Hear, hear). These and kindred 

 topics are subjects which must be developed not simply by 

 the corporate action of the Society, but by being taken in 

 hand in different neighbourhoods by persons residing there, 

 and by different classes of the members of this society ap- 

 plying their abilities to the solution of those particular 



questions with which their own calling or education May 

 have rendered them familiar. I fear I have trespassed too 

 much upon your time, but I could not refrain from making 

 some allusion to the various top.cs which had been brought 

 before us (cheers). In conclusion, I again thank you for 

 the compliment you have paid me (renewed cheers). 

 The meeting then separated. 



THE SMITHFIELD SHOW WEEK. 



The proceedings of this busy week were more of 

 promise for the future than of any actual excel- 

 lence in the present. The show itself was clearly not 

 a great one, but almost everything connected with 

 it "went well." As with its immediate predecessor at 

 Birmingham, the many difficulties of the season have 

 had their effect, and the display in Baker Street 

 cannot fairly be recorded as up to the average 

 of late years. Some of the best judges and breeders 

 of stock doubted if there was really a Gold Medal 

 animal in the yard ; and the Leicesters and Pigs 

 furnished " the prime pieces " for the butcher. A 

 consecutive analysis, however, of the several classes 

 will be found elsewhere ; while we may be par- 

 doned for adding here how directly the opinions 

 maintained in our report of the Midland Counties 

 Meeting were confirmed. As we then wrote : "We 

 cannot think that either of the Gold Medal animals of 

 the week past will be the object of any such similar 

 attraction in the present — " and they were not. Again, 

 " As a lot, the one class of Hereford cows was the best 

 of the show. There was Mr. Pitt's deep broad one, 

 Mr. Tudge's neater and prettier, and another very 

 handsome one of Mr, Hill's to separate them. The 

 liist-prize has not the style of either of the other two, 

 and another set of judges would be very likely to take 

 another neio reading over these three Graces." This 

 has been proved to the letter. It was from the best 

 class at Birmingham that the Smithfield Club selected 

 their Gold Medal cow, but transposing, as we said 

 they would, the three they had to choose from. There 

 were other differences of opinion amongst the two sets 

 of cattle judges; but, on the whole, the new trial 

 granted was considered to be the more satisfactory of 

 the two. Majesty, as we also intimated, gave its counte- 

 nance to the occasion, and Mr. Brandreth Gibbs, with 

 all his recent experience, has become a very courtier 

 in the grace of his receptions. 



Under the sunshine of such patronage the business 

 of the Club prospered. Seldom is it that better re- 

 solves have been taken. Lord Berners, as everyone 

 e.xpected, was chosen as the new President, but only 

 for one year, despite the endeavour of another noble 

 lord to make it a triennial appointment. Then there 

 is to be, what in such a state of transition is especially 

 needed, another general meeting of the members of 

 the Club in May ; to be held on the same day as the 

 half-yearly meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society. 



Further, Mr. Thurnall's motion for clearly defining the 

 breeding of any " cross" entered was carried ; and the 

 shares in the new Hall of the Club were selling. The 

 only " damper" was the dinner, in itself a most indif- 

 ferent one, most indifferently attended. There were 

 not sixty people present ; but the speaking went to 

 contradict the actor's axiom that men cannot play 

 " up" to a thin house. Almost every address delivered 

 had its practical value, and Mr. Eaton came 

 famously at the finish with an interesting account of 

 his struggles and successes as a Cape farmer. 



At the companion Club in Bridge Street there is a yet 

 greater ambition for oratorical effect, pushed as this 

 was a little too far on the Monday evening. Mr. 

 Scott Burn gave parts only of a very carefully con- 

 sidered and most comprehensive paper " On the Con- 

 dition of the Labourer," that will read even better. 

 We publish the essay, for such it really is, in full. The 

 subsequent discussion was not, on the whole, worthy of 

 the opening, degenerating, as it did eventually, into un- 

 seemly noise and confusion. The best friends of the 

 Club will have to look more resolutely to this growing 

 evil, or one or two well-known offenders will do irre- 

 parable injury to the character of the discussions — after 

 all, the great strength of the society. The dinner of 

 the same Club went far more evenly. It was well 

 attended, well " done," and well spoken to. According 

 , to present proof, it is very fortunate, that the suggestion 

 for holding the two dinners the same day was thought 

 better of. 



Foremost amongst many other encouraging auspices 

 is the progress of the Royal Agricultural Society, which 

 is really now developing as it should do. Never yet 

 were there such liberal, well-arranged prize-lists as 

 both those for stock and implements at the approach- 

 ing Leeds Meeting. The trials of the former are to be 

 considerably extended, and the steam-cultivators, in 

 accordance with another meeting of the Implement 

 Committee held on the Friday, will be put to work in 

 April, with some three hundred acres of land to practise 

 upon. This additional opportunity has been afforded 

 mainly at the instance of Mr. Fowler, who suggested 

 as much at the General Meeting on the Wednesday. 

 Here Mr. Sidney, readily adopting our own phrase^ 

 ' ' made his usual speech," the tone of which was 

 very moderate, and his " point" the absurd abuses 

 arising from over-feeding show stock. Hence, as 

 we now see, come many of the robberies in practice at 



