58 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Ai'G. as. I1*t, 



ANNUAL MEKTING OP THE ROYAL AG- 

 RICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ENGLAND. 



This Society held its annual meeting at Livc^r- 

 pool, on the third week of last month. The Mark i 

 Lane Express, of July 20, contoins an extended nc- 

 couMt of its doings. Our readers would take little 

 interest in rcadin;; over the names of successful 

 competitors for pretninins on the other side of the 

 Atlantic ; therefore we omit all but the remarks 

 of the Chairman, and those of Mr Smith, of Scot- 

 land. {»e suppose the Mr Smith who invented the 

 uubsoil ploui^li.) These we give as n fair sample 

 of the much that was said on the occasion. 



The Chairman then rose and said — Lord Spen- 

 cer and Gentlemen : I have now the honor of p-o- 

 posing to you the health of a gentleman who has 

 distinguished himself as a competitor for stock this 

 day. Though not one of the best judges of stock 

 myself, I know enough about it to be aware how 

 much has been done by the Royal Aaricultural So- 

 ciely of Engluud for the general benefit of the 

 country. (Cheers.) 1 know, as I dare say all of 

 yon do, that there arc certain proofs of the excel- 

 lence of stock, and I know that very great improve- 

 ments have been made, through the efforts of thi.s 

 society and those of the Smilhfield Club, in the 

 breed of our stock. I am unable to state what are 

 all the recent improvements which have been 

 made ; but when we look at the state of stock two 

 or three hundred years ago, it is impossible for any 

 man, however ignorant, not to see that much has 

 been done. As I have already stated, I am not 

 able to enter into the merits of all the improve- 

 ments that have been made under the encourage 

 ment of this society ; but, as I was accidentally 

 reading the other day some portion of an old His- 

 tory of England, published about 200 years ago, I 

 rould not but be struck with the very diflercnt 

 state of our slock to what slock was then described 

 to be, and with the difference of opinion which ex- 

 isted then on the subject and at the present time. 

 Gentlemen, I am not going to detain you tonight 

 by rending over to you the History of England — 

 (laughter) — but there are one or two curious facts 

 in an old history, written in the time of Queen 

 Klizaheth, which are worth referring to by way of 

 contrast with facts now well known respecting the 

 breed of stock, and to those I will draw your at- 

 tention. The author says, that in those days 

 "England was well known for surmounting other 

 countries in the breed of cattle, as may bo proved 

 with ease, for where are oxen commonly more large 

 of bone ?" (Laughter.) He then proceeds — " In 

 most places our graziers are now grown to be so 

 cunning, that if they do but see an ox or bullock, 

 and come to the feeling of him, they will give a 

 guess at his weight, and how many score or stone 

 of fli'sh and tallow he beareth — liow the butcher 

 may live by the sale, and what he may have for the 

 akin and tallow — (laughter) — which is a point of 

 skill not conmionly practised heretofore. Some 

 auch graziers also are reported to ride with velvet 

 coats and chains of gold about them." (Laughter.) 

 Gentlemen, I think we have made considerable 

 progress in the weight of cattle, and in judging of 

 their weight, since old Hollinshead's days ; hut 

 here follows a point in which I doubt if we have 

 uindo much progress. }Io says, "And in their ab- 

 sence (the absence of the husbands) their wive.s 

 will not let to supply those turns with no less skill 

 than their husbands." (Great laughter.) Gentle- 

 men, hear the remainder of the sentence — " which 



is an hard work for the poor butcher, saith he, 'his own door, and there consumed; and it wai 

 through this means can seldom be rich or wealthy equally beneficial that the nianufaclurer shouW 

 by his trade." (Renewed laughter.) Gentlemen, ! have his manufactures consumed in his own cou; 

 he proceeds to state, that our own breed of cattle 'try, leaving its enriching influence on the groun( 

 have long had the advantage of others, and he [Cheers.] This count'ry had been able to bid d<l '" 

 says — "Their horns also are known to be more fair ' tiance to the cheap labor of all olhor countries c 'f 

 and large in England than in any other place, ex- ' the earth, and so would she continue. [Hear, hear, 

 cept those which are to be seen among the Pcones, I In the improvements which had been made, n' 

 which quantity, although it be given to our breed i doubt they had been led on by a selfish feeling !■ 

 generally by nature, yet it is now and then helped a certain extent, and in all questions of [uibli 

 also by art." So that we see in those days science benefit, no doubt such a feeling must e\ist. Peel 

 was called in to the assistance of agriculture. I pie must look to their own interests, or they woulf 

 (Laughter.) I don't, however, think much of their ; do little for the benefit of the public. It wa 

 science, because they say, when beasts '' be very however, quite clear, that in order to have hrea' 

 young," breeders will "oftentimes anoint their . cheaper, the beet mode was to produce a gr>'au ' 

 budding horns or tender tips with honey, which quantity, because the more that was produced tk ■' 

 mollifieth the natural hardness of tliat substance, ^ cheaper it would be to the consumers. [He» ' 

 and thereby makelh them to grow unto a notable hear.] He would advise the sociely, if lie mig( 1j 

 greatness;', (laughter) '' cerles, it is not strange I be allowed, to avoid two errors into which socii ' 

 in England to sec oxen whose horns have the 'ties of that kind commonly fall — not lo discoq) ff 

 length of a yard or three feet between the tips." < age persons who caine forward with improvemeul ' 

 [Keuewed laughter.] Gentlemen, it is not often ' nor to be too hasty in rejecting such as were offt *' 

 we see them now. Our first improvement in cattle ed lo their notice. He had frequently seen tliini * 

 was in the long-horned breed, and I believe they , ofTered to the notice of such societies which at fi|i f 

 are now little seen. There was one long-horned ' appeared exceedingly absurd, but in the cmi lur 

 beast at the last Smilhfield show which wis much ' ed out to be really the germs of the gre:i: -t u, 

 looked at. There arc few, I presume, to whom proveinents. .'\t the same time he «uuu) Ivii 

 we arc more deeply indebted for improving the i competitors, if at first their implemcr.ls wi r ■ n 

 roast beef of old England than the subject of this noticed as they might imagine they deservi ], n 

 toast. Gentlemen, I beg to propose to you the ' to be discouraged, but to persevere, and eventiia 

 health of the successful competitor in Class I., Mr ly they might depend on succeeding. [Cheen 

 Bates, of Kirkleavington, Yorkshire. [Applause.] In taking a survey of this county, and more esft 



Mr Smith returned thanks for the honor con- cially in this neighborhood, there was great re 

 ferred upon him. Whatever services he had done ; for improvement ; but that meeting would do 

 the society, were amply repaid by having his health j less sow good seed, and in due time an abund 

 drank in such a meeting as that — by having those crop would be reaped. [Hear, hear.] There i 



no principle for producing improvements bel 



than the itinerating principle — it excited a gp 

 of inquiry, and by ti.e converse with others, it 

 proved men's minds; and by competition, ficnli 



services appreciated by the Royal Agricultural So 



ciety of England, and by the farmers of England. 



[loud cheers.] He had turned his attention from 



cultivating the manufacturing aits to agriculture. 



He had no doubt the farnier, like the manufacturer, were brought into exercise which would other 



if he had better tools, his work would bo better have lain dormant. It was, therefore, that ho 



done, and it was quite evident, on viewing the im- proved of ploughing matches and other mode* 



plements which had been exhibited that day, there ! competition amongst farmers and their servaj 



was a wide field for improvement, [applause.] He [Cheers.] He had had the good luck of brin| 



felt assured that if the mechanical skill of Eng- ! forward some implements on the present occasi 



land were directed lo that point, and he had no and if spared, he hoped on future occasions to 



doubt it w ould be by that society, a vast improve- hibit still further improvements. [Loud cheersJ 



ment would soon be the consequence, [cheers.] • 



He felt proud to think that they liad been able to ^ j- c' rn , o i i • <• ^ 



, , , .1 . „ , / ,, „ ,. , Cure for Sore Tenia. Scarcely a dairy of c( 



conlribule something of advantn<re to the English , :; , , • , , 



r ,- 1 • ,- o .1 1 IT can be found in which more or less are not 



farmer Irom his poor country of Scotland. 



He 



felt also gratified in believing that the s(>ci(!ty had 

 been formed in some measure, on the Highland So- 



ject to sore teats, and from the irritolion thus ci 

 ed, much trouble in milking, and loss of milk 



;„..<• o .1 1 o ■ . I • 1. 1 1 1 1 i sue. The followin;: preparation, if kept on h 



-lety ot Scotland — a Sociely which had produced 1 , ,. , ; ' . ,, ,. 



• 1 11 , . • ., . .II- and applied occasionally to such udders and ti 



considerable advantage in that country by bringing ' '^' _^.,, ,^,„„„„, „, „„,„ ,i,o ji„o„„< 



into a belter state of cultivation the poor land of "* ". 



his country. He had no doubt that in this country 

 where there was more capital than in the north, 

 erelong, England would become a perfect garden. 

 The improvement of the agriculture of this coun- 

 try was most important to the commercial and 

 manufacturing interests — [loud cheers.] They 

 cried out for cheap bread, and justly so, too ; but 

 how so well were they to get cheap bread as by 

 the improvement of the lands around them ? [Con- 

 tinued cheers.] Every farmer knew well there was 



'ill prevent or cure the disensi 

 Sometimes the flies will be troublesome; if so, 

 one ounce of assafo'tida or aloes in powder, 

 incorporate it thoroughly with the ointnu-nt. So 

 times the leuls are tender only. When this is 

 case, washing with weak salt and water is bet 

 cial, and usuully sufficient. 



Ointment made of sweet elder, four ounces, 



Yellow basilicim ointment, four ounces. 



Spirits of turpentine, one ounce. 



IMix and well incorporate on a slab or in a I 



iiiiiit.-u ciiuuia. ijvery larmer Knew wuil mere whb ,.,.., r^ , , i 



.1 ■ 1-1. .1 .- tar, and it is lit for use — Selectea. 



nolliing 80 good in agriculture us the consumption ' 



of his own produce on his own soil. [Hear, hear] I 



The same principle which was good in small The transp.nrent wings of certain injects ar 



things would also hold good in larger. [Loud attenu.itcd in their structure, that ,5(1.1100 of t 



cheers.] It was to the advantage of the farmer placed over each other, would not form a pi 



Ihal the grain he required should be produced at quarter of an inch in thickness. 



