HONORARY WORKERS 



considerably longer than any of the officials of 

 the other leading agricultural associations of the 

 kingdom. Length of tenure, however, is nothing 

 to boast of, but, in my case, much to be thankful 

 for, inasmuch as it has enabled me to play a small 

 part in the promotion of some of the most useful 

 movements of a voluntary character ever brought 

 to bear in this country for the benefit of agriculture. 

 This privilege, and much else, I owe to my con- 

 nection with a Society having a record of service 

 unsurpassed in its length, or in the good achieved, 

 by any similar body. I have had to restrict my 

 references to such of the Society's work of useful- 

 ness as would suffice to illustrate these recollec- 

 tions, but this does not represent a tithe of what 

 has been done by that organization even within 

 the limited space of my own time. For nearly 

 one hundred and fifty years it has been discharging 

 functions of the utmost importance to the well- 

 being of the greatest of our national industries. 



I have equally had to put limits upon what I 

 should like to say of those who during my own 

 time have rendered yeoman service to the interests 

 entrusted to them. The most I could do was to 

 venture upon a few pen-and-ink sketches to be 

 taken as samples of the bulk, which might help 

 to convey from personal knowledge how much 

 the Society has owed to the energy, the capacity 

 and the disinterestedness of its honorary workers. 

 For obvious reasons, I have selected my examples 

 chiefly from the ranks of those who have crossed 

 the bar rather than of those still living and doing 

 equally good work? 



Whatever attractions the Society possessed 

 321 Y 



