54 THE GROUNDSWELL. 



THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY AND PRESENT 

 ORGANIZATIONS OF ENGLAND. 



The Eoyal Agricultural Society, which has exerted so 

 wide-spread and beneficial an influence upon agriculture 

 throughout the civilized world, was founded in 1838, and, 

 adopted for its motto, &quot;PRACTICE WITH SCIENCE.&quot; Within 

 seven years it had established, or had been the means of es 

 tablishing, four hundred other societies; one hundred and 

 fifty of these being practical Farmers Clubs. Ten years 

 later (in 1855), the societies and clubs amounted to over 

 seven hundred. The most important of these clubs, the 

 London Central Farmers Club, became so firmly rooted, 

 was so thoroughly supported, and its influence was so widely 

 felt, that it received the appellation of the &quot; Bridge Street 

 Parliament,&quot; and gave rise to the aphorism by a celebrated 

 English statesman, that &quot; neither our fleets, however well 

 manned, nor our armies, however valorous, nor our diplo 

 macy, however successful, can do so much as the plow.&quot; 



The Eoyal Agricultural Society owes much of its popu 

 larity to the deep interest manifested in it by the late Prince 

 Consort &quot;the Farmer Prince&quot; who, indeed, always ap 

 preciated the fact that the welfare of the farmer meant the 

 welfare of the nation at large. The Society yet continues to 

 hold its annual exhibitions, which are peripatetic in their 

 nature, and the distinction of being selected as the place for 

 the yearly show is a much coveted one. 



In most of the counties of England, there are County 

 Agricultural Societies, which, also, hold annual exhibitions. 

 These societies, as a rule, are in a healthy condition, and of 

 great value to the farmers ; but, now, the recognized repre 

 sentatives of the farming interests are the Chambers of Ag 

 riculture, composed of landlords, farmers, grain merchants, 

 and others concerned in interests connected with the soil. 



