14 



Farmers cannot complain. They must laugh inwardly, 

 though they look very sober, when they pull the wool over our 

 eyes and really make us believe it " don't pay." I know what 

 is said about middle-men ; but drive your own wagon to the 

 farmer's door to buy a barrel of potatoes or a firkin of butter — 

 how is it then ? It is a serious thing to us outsiders and con- 

 sumers — the high price of everything. It is a particularly 

 serious thing to my profession ; for it affects the question of 

 marriage. It makes marriage, which surely ought to be a 

 pleasant contemplation, altogether formidable, and keeps many 

 an unhappy creature in the horrible estate of bachelorhood. 

 The evil is felt in all classes, from highest to lowest. A Scotch 

 country girl left her place fully determined to put a matrimo- 

 nial period to the doubts and sighs of her stalwart admirer ; 

 but being rather cautious, and having read of high markets, 

 she called on a civil functionary in whom she had full confi- 

 dence, to ask his advice. The question she put was, " whether 

 markets were likely to rise or fall ? " " For," she said in a 

 whisper, " Allck and me intendit to gang thegither at this 

 time, but I canna mak up my mind to with the meal at twa 

 shillings and threepence a peck. Alick, I see, would risk it at 

 twa shillings ; but, faith, I'll no try it aboon anghleen pence ! " 

 So it appears that the clergy are big sufferers from high prices ! 



There is one important branch of agriculture to which I 

 have made no allusion. I mean the improving of the breeds 

 of animals. Great attention has been given to this branch by 

 your Society, with the best results. A Norfolk farmer has not 

 accomplished the object of his ambition till his stock, be it large 

 or small, be it horses or cattle or sheep or swine, or all together, 

 is the best for his particular habitat he can possibly secure. A 

 poor or even mediocre animal will be superseded by him as 

 soon as he can make the exchange. And I know of no greater 

 advantage of a Fair than the opportunity it affords for com- 

 paring stock, and the emulations thus awakened. While no 

 part of agriculture is more interesting than this, is it not 

 astonishing that the treatment which is due from man to these 

 " poor relations," as some one facetiously calls them — only I 

 believe they were monkeys! — has received so little attention ? 

 that the idea of humanity to these useful creatures — although 

 the practice of it is enjoined in the Book of books, and in the 



