FIFTY YEARS OF A SHOWMAN'S LIFE 



the text, "Does God take care for Oxen?" and 

 after an effective pause supplied the answer with 

 startling and commanding emphasis, " Of course, 

 He does ! ' : And then followed a discourse, which, 

 by its force and directness and its understanding 

 of the rural temperament, came home at once to 

 the minds of the listening country-folk. 



Any record, however limited, of services ren- 

 dered to the Society and to cheese-making, would 

 be indeed incomplete if it did not include a mention 

 of that striking personality, the late George 

 Gibbons, of Tunley, to whom the archdeacon's 

 letter was addressed, and whose reputation ex- 

 tended far beyond his native county of Somerset. 

 By his force of character, strength of purpose, 

 abounding energy and unique experience, he was 

 enabled during a long and active life to render 

 inestimable service to agriculture, and especially 

 to the dairy side of it. By those engaged in the 

 latter industry, he was regarded as the very 

 fountain of knowledge, as the very chief of experts. 



He had a distinguished agricultural career 

 previous to actively associating himself with the 

 Bath and West Society, having been awarded, 

 in 1875, the first prize of 50, offered by the Royal 

 Agricultural Society for the best-managed dairy 

 farm in the county of Somerset, and having 

 gained prizes for Cheddar cheese at all the leading 

 shows in this country and abroad, whilst he held 

 many positions of trust in the Agricultural world. 

 Space will not allow of my doing more than re- 

 calling some of his personal characteristics, as 

 they presented themselves to me during my 

 association with him in the Society's work. He 



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