Sir H. S. Meysey Thompson, Bart. 529 



appropriated water-power, and the low rate of wages, offer every inducement 

 to the manufacturer. But what capitalist, it will be urged, will risk his 

 wealth in a country where life and property are notoriously insecure ? " 



Turning' to the ' Journals of the Royal Agricultural Society,' in 

 the first volume we unwillingly pass over Mr. Pusey's paper on 

 the ' Present State of Agriculture ;' indeed a bird's-eye view of no 

 ordinary vision : as yet railways were not, and common roads 

 were dry ditches in summer and wet ones in winter : agricul- 

 tural intercourse there was almost none : in many districts the 

 English talent for developing animal form was conspicuous by its 

 absence. Yet Mr. Pusey's trained eye saw coming improvement 

 written over the face of the country. 



' Subsoil Ploughing' from the pen of Mr. Thompson appears in 

 the second volume ; this paper is taken from the, ' Journal of the 

 Yorkshire Societ}-.' It is not very practical ; youthful science 

 vainly striving to gain a footing on a slippery spot. There was a 

 tendency in those days for the heroic uplifting, transposition and 

 intermixture of soils on the earth's crust, which operations, in 

 days of dear labour, appear to us moderns heavy undertakings. 

 Reference in this volume is made to the advance of the mechanics 

 of agriculture, the village smithy giving place to the great 

 manufactory. There is a remarkable novelty, a portable steam 

 engine. A sensible desire is also expressed for co-operation as 

 well with Farmers' Clubs at home as with the Colonies and 

 foreign countries. 



Two suggestive propositions worthy of remark may be culled 

 from the third volume of the Journal. It is stated that drainaare 

 is to a farm what a foundation is to a house ; and the Society 

 avoids all inter-landlord and tenant questions. 



The study of farming, unlike that of pure science, requires not 

 only great practical experience, but many means and appliances 

 to boot ; a museum and model room was about to be established 

 on a government site, but the project failed. From the pen of 

 Mr. Pusey there is another paper on Progress — an encouraging 

 milestone on the hopeful way — evincing grasp of principle and 

 appreciation of method. Full of the faith that moves moun- 

 tains, the Report of the Council says " the Royal Agricultural 

 Society has sown good seed, and ere long a crop will be plenteously 

 gathered." 



The outbreak of the potato-disease occupies the sixth volume 

 of the Journal, 1846; it contains an exhaustive paper on that 

 subject, contributed by Mr. Thompson, his then theory was that 

 curl, dry and wet rot were various symptoms of the same disease, 

 that with large tops the tubers were small, and that over ripening 

 caused the disease, and consequently the remedy would be found 

 in unripe setts. We may value facts, and admire arguments, 



A'OL. X. — S. S, 2 M 



