454 Abstract Report of Agricultural Discussions. 



" As sound practical farmers, I ilou't think they are much improved ; but, 

 of course, their knowledge of the iirinciples and science of agriculture must be 

 greater." 



And in Sussex Mr. Ellman says :— 



" I believe that the present race of farmers are not so well informed upon 

 the general working of the land as the last generation, but we possess many 

 appliances which formerly were UTiicnown." 



He adds : — 



" I may say that I know of no young man in this neighbourhood, of the age 

 of twenty-two, w1k> is capable uf conducting a large farm to advantage luiless 

 entirely trusting to an experienced bailitl'. Even at a maturcr age, few who 

 are liberally educated can manage of themselves. I am quite, prepared to 

 prove my assertion, that any education wliich entices the mind from the 

 avocations of a farm must inevitably weakt'u the object, and midead the prac- 

 titioner into a labyrinth of difliculties." 



It thus appears to be tlic general opinion tliat the present generation 

 of young men among the tenantry, to whom, on the score of general 

 intelligence, every body concedes a much higher social position than 

 their fathers had, possess no such superiority as regards that pro- 

 fessional ability or skill to wliich one is at first disposed to attribute 

 the advance which English agi'iculture has imdoubtedly of late years 

 exhibited. 



Agkiculturat. Socikties. 



Two other indices occur to me as likely to point out the truth 

 on this subject. The one is the statistics of agricultural societies 

 in this country, which, however, have but a doubtful relationship 

 to it ;2and the other is the amount of sales which jjublishers have 

 obtained for agricultural works. Of the first, connected with which 

 I have collected a lot of information, which, however, is still lui- 

 fortuuately incomplete, I will here only say that the gi'cat niuuber 

 and success of local agricultural societies, and especially of the 

 discnssional Farmers' Clubs, is to be taken as an indication rather 

 of the interest in, and anxiety for, professional information which 

 prevails, tlian as a proof that there is nothing more to be desired or 

 required in the professional education of the farmer. I see, for 

 example, that Dr. Voelcker and Professor Coleman, Professor Buck- 

 man, too, and others, are frequently applied to by local clubs for 

 lectures on various departments of agricultural science and practice. 

 Professor Church, of the Agricultural College, has, I see, undertaken 

 to teach a class of members of the Kingscote Farmers' Club, who have 

 sought his help, so much of the science of chemistry as exj)laius agi'i- 

 cultural experience. Of course one soon learns that these clubs arc 

 very often the result of jiublic-spirited effort on the part of compara- 

 tively few individuals in each county ; yet, even so, their existence 

 proves that there is already sjn'ead over the country an agency which 

 this Society may, if it chooses, use in any effort it may make for the 

 prosecution of professional agi-icultural education. For this reason an 

 attempt has been made during the last few weeks to collect information 

 regarding these societies. Information has been received about 120 

 such societies in England — not one-third, probably, however, of the 



