480 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



so well ? Simply by bodily turuiug- out an incompetent 

 Finance Committee, and putting better men in their 

 stead. Wliat will increase not merely the finances, but 

 the numbers, the influence, the means, and the way to 

 do good, but by putting the power into proper hands ? 

 Let every incapable or obstructive remember tliat 

 from this time forth at every General Meeting of the 

 Society he will be put upon his trial ; and that, curb 

 or smother publicity as he may, his acts will " out." 



We can honestly congratulate the Royal Agricul- 

 tural Society on that countenance which, as we 

 announced last week, it will now enjoy. We 

 can, further, congratulate the best friends of the 

 Association on the sensible, independent, and 

 straightforward tons of the Meeting on Wednesday. 

 It was an occasion eminently suggestive of advance- 

 ment ; but the quei'y is, what will become of such sug- 

 gestions ? When Lord Feversham tells us that v.e are 

 destroying our best breeds of stock by overfeeding the 

 animals exhibited at the Society's Show, we ask, will 

 the Council look to this ? When Mr. Beale Brown de- 

 monstrates that the presen t plan of shearing a show sheep 

 is little less than an organized robbery, we turn to the 

 Council to think over the remedy. Other such So- 

 cieties have found it. When Mr. Baker from Australia, 

 Mr. Moore from Wiltshire, Mr. Orlebar from Bedford- 

 shire, and Mr. Sidney from London — when a colonist, 

 a farmer, and a country gentleman, assure us not 

 only what good the Society would do, but what good 

 would follow to the Society, by the immediate publi- 

 cation of useful papers, and by encouraging the de- 

 livery of such addresses, we pause to think over what 

 may come of such recommendations — many of them 

 made in answer to the customary invitation from the 

 President himself. 



According, then, to all previous precedent and rule 

 as heretofore observed, the next number of the 

 Journal will contain the report of the Council as 

 read at the General Meeting in May, and — nothing 

 more ! There will not be one word or line of the 

 comments made on the framers of this Report, or the 

 able advice offered for their future course. If absent 

 members confine their reading to the pagesof the JoMr««^, 

 they will I'eally know little or nothing of the Society's 

 proceedings, or what their brother-members are anxious 

 to be doing. To be properly up even in the business 

 of their own institution, they will have to turn to 

 those dreadful people the reporters, and their equally 

 terrible instruments, the newspapers. 



The General Meeting of this Society was held on Wednes- 

 day, May 22, in Hanover-square. The chair was taken at noon by 

 the Earl of Powis, the president for the year. The attendance, 

 which was very much larger than usual, included Lords Fe- 

 versham, Walsingham, Berners, and Heyteabur} ; the Honour- 

 ables Colonel Hood, John Carnegie, 'and Leslie Melville; 

 Messrs. E. Holland, M.P., C. Wren Hoskyus, W. Fisher 

 Hobbs, W. Terr, R. Milward, Challoner, 0«pen WaUis, T. B. 

 Western, W. Rigdeu, Jonas Webb, C. S. Cantrell, H. B. 

 Caldwell, J. Shuttleworth, J. Howard, C. E. Amos, Professor 

 Simouds, J. Druce, S. Druce, R. Neville Grenville, Beale 

 Brown, M'Clintoclr, E. Wells, Orlebar, W. Woodward, 

 E. W. Moore, W. Astbury, H. Corbet, W. Dickenson, 

 W. S. Turner, S. Sidney, Magendie, Professor Solly, H. Straf- 

 ford, Smith, J. Hercy, J. Baker, J. Hutchenson, W. Yates 

 Freebody, Stanforth, Saunders, Simpson, Pritchard, M'Intosb, 

 Roddrum, Colhngwood, Deysey, P. Severn, Pickin, and Smyth, 

 with Mr. Frere the Editor, and Mr. Hall Dare the Secretary. 



The first business was the election and re-election of mem- 

 bers of the Council going out by rotation. The result of the 

 Ecrutiny was that the following list as submitted by the Council 

 was unanimously adopted:— Thos. D. Acland, Sprydoncote, 

 Exeter ; Charles Barnett, Stratton Park, Biggleswade ; Hum- 

 phrey Brandreth, Houghton House, Dunstable ; James Went- 

 wotth Buller, M.P., Downes, Crediton; Charles Cantrell (new 

 Member of Council), Riding Court Farm, Datchet; Earl ' 



Cathcart (elected May, 1861), Woodend, Thirsk; John D- 

 Dent, M.P. (new Member of Council), Ribston Hsll, We- 

 therby ; Anthony Hamond, Westacre Hall, Brandon, Norfolk; 

 Colonel the Hon. Ahx. Nelson Hood, Cumberland Lodge, 

 Windsor; John Hudson, Castleacte Lodge, Swaffham ; Phihp 

 Stapylton Humberston, M.P., Mollino:ton, Cheshire ; Richard 

 Milward, Thurgartoa Priory, Southwell ; Thomas Pain, Laver- 

 Btock Hall, Salisbury; Edward Pope, Great Toller, Maiden 

 Newton ; Earl of Powis, Powis Castle, Welshpool ; William 

 Rigden (new Member of Council), Hove, Brighton ; James 

 Banks Stanhope, M P., Revesby Abbey, Horncastle; William 

 Torr, Aylesby, Gr;at Grirasby ; George Turner, Barton, Exe- 

 ter ; Hon. Augustus Vernon, Sudbury, Derby ; Offea Wallis 

 (elected November, 1860), Overstone Grange, Northampton; 

 Thomas Burch Western, Felis Hall, Kelvedon ; Henry Wilson, 

 Stowlangtoft Hall, Bury St. Edmunds ; Professor John 

 Wilson, Iver, Uxbridge ; Sir Watkiu Williams Wynn, Bart, 

 M.P., RhuaboD, Denbighshire. 



Lord Feversham said he rose to propose a motion which 

 he was sure would meet with cordial approval. Some time 

 ago it was suggested that his Royal Highness the Prince Con- 

 sort would probably undertake the presidency of the Society 

 during the year i?i which its meeting was held in the 

 metropolis. A deputation waited upon his Royal Highness, 

 not long since, to ascertain his views on the subject ; and they 

 had the satisfaction of finding that he was willing to accept 

 the office (cheers). A communication to this effect was re- 

 ceived at the ensuing meeting of the Council with the great- 

 est satisfaction, as the intelligence it conveyed would be by 

 the agricultural community at large ; and he had no doubt 

 that that meeting would unanimously concur in the feeling of 

 the Council on that subject. Without further preface, he 

 begged to move, "That bis Royal Highness the Prince Con- 

 sort be solicited to honour the Society by accepting the office 

 of President for the ensuing year, and that a deputation be 

 appointed to convey to his Royal Highness the request of the 

 Society." 



Mr. FiSKER Hobbs, in seconding the resolution, said, as 

 one of the farmers of this country, he felt that he expressed 

 their sentiments as well as his own when he expressed his 

 satisfaction at the prospect of his Royal Highness becoming 

 the president of the Society for the ensuing year (cheers). 

 This pleasure was derived not merely from the high rank of his 

 Royal Highness, or from the fact that he was the consort of 

 their beloved Quee;i, but also from the fact that he bad shown 

 himself, to a certain extent, a practical farmer. His Royal 

 Highness had always encouraged and supported that Society, 

 not only by his presence, but also by his exhibition of animals 

 at its country meetings ; and having had the honour of visit- 

 ing the royal farms for several years, he (Mr. Hobbs) could 

 testify that no landlord in this country was carrying out agri- 

 cultural icnproveruent to a greater extent, or manifesting a 

 greater desire for its development, than the Prince Consort 

 (cheers). Evidences of this disposition were afforded, not merely 

 by the erection of farm-buildings, but also by the keeping of good 

 breeds of stock, by drainage operations, by good cultivation, 

 and by everything which conduced to the success of modern 

 farming. He was sure there would be a unanimous feehug 

 of satisfaction in that Society, and among agriculturists 

 throughout the country, if his Royal Highness would do them 

 the honour of accepting the presidency (cheers). 



The resolution having been put, and carried unanimously. 



On the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Colonel Chal- 

 loner, it was resolved that the deputation should consist of the 

 President and Secretary of the Society, together with the mover 

 and seconder of the resolution. 



The trustees having been re-elected, the Chairman was 

 about to put the names of the proposed vice-presidents, 

 when 



Mr. S. Sidney requested that they might be submitted 

 seriatim, as he had an amendment to propose, and this was 

 accordingly done. 



Lord Walsingham having been le-elected vice-president 

 without opposition, on the next name in order being submitted, 

 namely, Mr, Raymond Barker, 



Mr. S. Sidney proposed, as an amendment, the name of 

 his Grace the Duke of Sutherland, and Mr, Freebody seconded 

 the motion. 



The Chairman (after consulting with the Secretary, who 

 retired from the room to obtain a copy of the rales of the 

 Society) observed that the present Duke of Sutherland being 



