THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



Fhiclmtion in the Imperial Average "Price of Wheat, annmlly, 

 from 1641 to 1860. 



Mr, Bradshaw (Kuowle, Guildford) said, in the few le- 

 matks lie was about to make, he would endeavour to coufiue 

 himself strictly to the subject, namely, " The past, present, 

 and future of British agriculture," As regarded the past, he 

 would not add anything to what Mr, Mechi had stated. He 

 would only refer to the present, to assist him in the bold step 

 he was about to take in predicting the future. As to the future, 

 he for one was not inclined to hold out a gloomy prospect to 

 the tillers of the soil ; but, on the contrary, a cheerful one 

 (Hear, heat). Let them look at the progress which agriculture 

 had made in the last fifteen years, and ask themselves why it 

 should not make similar progress in the next fifteen (Hear, 

 hear) ? In glancing at the discussions of agricultural societies, 

 and reading the productions in agricultural j ournals, he found 

 evidence that at the present day there was far more practical 

 intelligence among farmers than existed fifteen years back; 

 while, as regarded the artificial manures, what had been wit- 

 neased? During the later val which had elapsed, and the 



various nostrums which had been presented, he believed that 

 the chaff had now been for the most part separated from the 

 grain, and that the substantial portions of modern discoveries 

 in that respect remained for the benefit of agriculture (Hear, 

 hear). Then, again, like the introducer of the subject, he 

 looked forward to a vast improvement of agriculture from the 

 employment of steam. There were two elements embodied in 

 this question ; one being the power of production, the other 

 that of consumption. The cultivator of the soil had now 

 great facilities for travelling about from place to place by 

 means of railways, and, away from home, his mind was natu- 

 rally occupied in observing what was done by others : he waa 

 thus led to adopt such improvements as appeared most appli- 

 cable to his own case ; and he believed that one result of this 

 locomotion and observation would be the discovery that steam 

 cultivation would promote cheapness of production and in- 

 creased quantity and quality — that it would be beneficial to the 

 owner of the soil, better for the farmers, the agricultural 

 labourers, and the whole community (cheers). He would not 

 on that occasion enlarge on the merits of the discoveries of Mr. 

 Fowler and Mr. Smith ; he would simply remark that, in his 

 opinion, the agricultural world was greatly indebted to the 

 prescience of those gentlemen. They were living in days of 

 great transition. The men of the present day were quick 

 to discover whether mutton or avooI would yield the greatest 

 return for their exertions, and they would act accordingly. 

 There were not less than 4,000,000 people in this country who 

 were dependent on manufactures, and the machinery and 

 mining connected with that branch of industry ; and these 

 people, being in a state of great prosperity, required not a 

 Leicester sheep, but a light Southdown, The prosperity of 

 agriculture depended on the success of their efforts to produce 

 and the capacity of consumption on the part of the commu- 

 nity. On the former point he had already intim»ted his 

 opinion ; and as regarded the capacity of consumption, ho 

 believed it would not only be maiutained, but would coutinue 

 to increase. 



Lord Berners said, in response to the appeal of the 

 Chairman, be had great pleasure in handing in the came of 

 Sir Brook Brydges, M.P, for the county of Kent, as a new 

 member of that Club (cheers). He had also put down the 

 name of another person, a relative of his own, which he 

 trusted would be acceptable. He could not help saying that 

 he felt great interest in the announcement of the paper which 

 had been read by the worthy alderman ; and he bad been 

 much gratified by the research which he had shown in dealing 

 with the subject. He should certainly have been more 

 gratified had the last part of the subject — " the future of agri- 

 culture" — been more dilated upon ; for what most interested 

 all of them on such occasions was to hear from their brother- 

 farmers something which bore upon their prospects. There 

 were one or two points on which he did not quite agree with 

 the worthy alderman. He thought, for example, that he was 

 a little nristaken when he spoke of those who were connected 

 with agriculture as smaller iu number than those who were 

 connected with manufactures, If his memory served him, it 

 was shown that the former paid nine-tenths of the burdens of 

 the country. He was very glad that the question of settle- 

 ments and payments under the Poor-law had been taken up by 

 the Club. He believed that the present syatem of settlements 

 was a great injury to the poor man, and that the area of rating 

 ought to be extended as soon as possible (Hear, hear). He 

 might remark, that in former days being connected with a 

 close parish, or, rather, several close parishes, he fancied that 

 he did his duty if he saw that every man within that distiict 

 was well clothed, well fed, well employed, and well housed ; 

 but when he examined the question a few years ago, he felt 

 that he was very far from doing his duty ; that in this matter 

 they ought to look, not to their own parishes merely, but to 

 the general welfare of the poor of this country (Hear, hear). 

 In conversations which he had with the Poor-law Commis- 

 sioners, and from the reports which they issued, he found that 

 in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, within one or two miles of 

 model parishes, where there was everything that was con- 

 ducive to comfort and morality, were to be found other 

 parishes where the state of things was the very opposite. 

 That led him to turn his attention to this matter, and the 

 result waa that he determined to do his utmost to secure an 

 extension of the area of rating. As regarded their future 



