52 THE GROUNDS WELL.. 



appears to be working well. Ireland seems to be entering 

 on a career of unexampled prosperity, in which the farmers 

 must participate. There has been a substantial increase in 

 the wealth of the country during the unparalleled exodus 

 which has taken place. The Land Act gives the tenant 

 fixity of tenure ; that is, they can not be ejected from their 

 holdings until compensated for the money they have expended 

 in improvements. These improvements sometimes amount 

 to much more than the original value of the land. Thus, 

 in some cases, the law amounts to a virtual handing over 

 of the land from the landlord to the tenant, subject simply 

 to a fixed annual rent. 



THE FIRST FARMERS CLUB IN ENGLAND. 



In 1777, &quot; The Bath Agricultural Society, of England,&quot; 

 was organized, having for its aim the encouragement of 

 agriculture, arts, manufactures, and commerce, in the coun 

 ties of Somerset, Wilts, Gloucester, and Dorset. Through 

 its volumes, published yearly, it disseminated a vast amount 

 of practical information relative to the culture of the vari 

 ous crops then grown, and especially of those recently intro 

 duced. The breeding of cattle, horses, sheep, swine, and 

 other stock, was fully treated of in their reports, which also 

 contained much valuable data concerning manufactures, both 

 general and as relating to agriculture, arts, and commerce. 



Among the contributions to its literature we find such 

 names as Dr. Falconer, Dr. Campbell, Sir Christopher Haw 

 kins, Hobhouse, Arthur Young, M. DeSaussaure, Dr. J. 

 Anderson, Dr. Fothergill, Rev. Alexander Campbell, Count 

 DeBerchtold, Gen. Abercrombie, and other eminent men of 

 the day. This shows the interest taken in agriculture, in 



