1837] 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



105 



sprinirer that did not s'we two pints, and upon giv- 

 ing hiT tiirnips shp ir;ive four quarts. 



Roliprt Mitclioll \w\\\ir next calUnl, said his flirm 

 f()rini'.rly |)roikict'ci him no more than about £8 16.s, 

 which was ihe rent ho, then paid: he now had lo 

 ]),\y more, but by tlie new system he had last 

 year m uie £4\ 5.s 4d out of it, leaving plenty of 

 ti)od li)r himself and nine of a liimily. He had 

 nl<o enc.reased his stocit li-om one cow to liu'ee 

 cows and a hotse; anil he saw clearly that by iro- 

 ingon as he was duinix, Iw coulii have three linie.s 

 as much potatoes, oats and Hax as ever he had ibr- 

 nierlv. 



'•The Soiling System, cut and come again," was 

 then iriven. 



The premium list lor rape was then read over, by 

 which it appeared — 



Mr. Atiilerson, of Drummard, got the 1st prem. 



Edward ('oyne, of Drurngaw, tiie 2d do. 



Tliomas Scott, of Dirlet, the 3tl do. 



Mr. Anderson bore testimony to ih" advantages 

 he had derived in tlie increase of his stock audi 

 crops. He stated he had sowed his rape in Au-j 

 gust, after flax, and that he hail saved this year! 

 twenty-live bushels of winter v^etches seed from 

 less than an acre of land. ! 



The chairman here pointed out the neccssit}'^ of! 

 early sowing both rape and winter vetches, and 

 that nor a moment should he lost in putting them 

 in even, ridse by ridge, as last as the ground could 

 be cleareil of the crop preceding — observing that 

 a week in Auijusi was worth the wliole month of 

 October. He also noticed that Mr. Anderson had 

 made near £ 12 an acre by hs veti-hes. and recom- 

 mended the more general sowing of that crop lur 

 seed. 



Mr. IM'Kee, the vice-president, here took the 

 opportunity of the premium sheet being endeil, to 

 give the health of "Lord Acheson," which was 

 received by the company with the strongest nian- 

 ilestation of attachment. The chairman said the 

 dinner had been long postponed on account of his 

 Lordship's desire to be present; but after the day 

 had been fixed, he had been confined by a severe 

 cold which prevented him from travelling, and con- 

 fined him to his room. 



"The unsuccessful canilidates, and better lurk 

 to them next year;" and "the judges of the dav," 

 were given as toasts by the chairman, after which 

 succeeded — "Mr. Poole, and our other agricultural 

 friends who have lionored us with their company 

 in such dreadfid weather." 



Mr. Poole returned thanks and expressed the 

 most anxious desire to unite in promoting the im- 

 provement of agriculture by every means in his 

 power. 



The chairman here premised that he was afraid 

 he might be accused of renvssness in not giviuii 

 at an earlier period the health of the Marquis of 

 Dovvnshire. He certainly was entitled to every 

 compliment which the meetiiiir could pay him, not 

 only from his wish to have honored them with his 

 company, and having sent his tenants to join them, 

 from whom they had received such valuable sufj- 

 gestions, but also from his personal character as a 

 resident landlord, and his early endeavors to pro- 

 mote education and agriculture, when other land- 

 lords were in most cases indifferent to both. 



The "health of the Marquis of Downshire" was 

 then drank with three times three, and was ably 

 responded to bv Mr. M'Aleavy, who bore most 

 Vol. V— 14 



satisfactory testimony to the many good qualities 

 of his landlord. 



"Live and let live" was then given from the 

 chair; after which Mr. M'Kee gave the health of 

 "the chairman, William lilacker, Esq.," intro- 

 ducing the toast by many compliments to that 

 gentleman upon the success of his etl'urts in pro- 

 moting the agricultural improvements of the Gos- 

 Ibrd estate. 



Mr. Blacker, in reply, said — "Gendemf^n, I have 

 upon many former occasions endeavored to ex- 

 press the grateful sense I have always entertained 

 of the kind reception which the toast last drank 

 has constantly met with from this meeting; and I 

 may salely say, that at no lormer period has thia 

 li'eling been exceeded, or my gratification higher, 

 than at ibis moment, however imperlectly I may 

 be able to give those li^elings utterance. I see, or 

 I think I see, in the kindness shown towards my- 

 self, as well as from \vhat has fallen from my friend 

 Mr. M'Kee, the interest which you take in the suc- 

 cess of that system which 1 have advocated, and 

 from the success of which have arisen those state- 

 ments of increasing comtbrt and prosperity which 

 must have afforded you ail so much sincere plea- 

 sure to hear. I trust therefore, as friends to the 

 cause, you will allow me to say a tew words in ita 

 defence, against those charges which are some- 

 limes brought aoaiust it, and which lead many to 

 doubt of its eligibility. The charges I allude to 

 are these; that by allowing these small farms, the 

 population will be increased, until the country shall 

 be overwhelmed vvith inhabitants; and secondly, 

 that the system, on this account, tends to such 

 minute subdivision of land, that the farms will be 

 at last reduced to mere pauper allotments. Many 

 sensible and well-meanini): men hold these opin- 

 ions; but 110 such consequences are, in my mind, to 

 be apprehended. In alluding to the first charge, 

 I must beg to have it recollected, that the popula- 

 tion any landlord has now to deal with is a popu- 

 lation already in existence, and, therefore, not 

 chargeable against the system we are alluding to, 

 the operation of which must reler solely to the fu- 

 ture. Now you have heard the declarations of 

 those who have been most successful in adopting 

 it, as to the increased comfort and prosperity they 

 have enjoyed thereby; and if you examine the re- 

 ports of the dili(3rent poor law commissioners, and 

 uiTicial documents, of every kind, you will find it 

 proved by all concurrent testimony, that the pop- 

 ulation increases in direct proportion as poverty 

 exist=i, and that the possession of comfi^rt in their 

 fiithors' cottaijes defers young people fi'om form- 

 ing imprudent and early matrimonial connexions, 

 by which those comfiirls will be forfeited. If you 

 look round in the society, you will find that, as the 

 scale ascends, the more cautious and considerate 

 are the parlies in forming matrimonial engage- 

 ments — so that, in exact pro|)oriion as you in- 

 crease the comforts of their parent's home, young 

 people arc the less disposed to fbrliiit them by 

 havini^ fiimilies of their own, without the means 

 of support! nir them. Therefore, yon see, my 

 friends, by iriving peo|)le a greater taste lor coin- 

 I Ibrt, you check early marriages, and consequently 

 j check that increase ol population, which is erro- 

 neously brought as a charge against us. Now, 

 let us see how the charge is met! as to the subdi- 

 vision of firms; and here I have no occasion to 

 enter into theories or coujectuiee, but merely refer 



