CHAPTER XXIII. 



THIRD SHOW AT GLASGOW, 1838. 



An incident of the year 1838 has a connection so intimate 

 with the Highland Society that it deserves special mention 

 here. We allude to the great meeting held in Freemasons' 

 Tavern, London, on the 9th of May in the year 1838, for 

 the purpose of forming a Society to be called the ' English 

 Agricultural Society.' The advertisement calling the meet- 

 ing has adhibited to it as the first name the Duke of Rich- 

 mond, which is followed by that of the Duke of Wellington ; 

 while next come those of the Earl Fitzwilliam, Earl 

 Spencer, the Earl of Chichester, the Earl of Ripon. 

 Amongst other signatures are Sir James Graham, Philip 

 Pusey, Mr Handley, M.P., &c. At the meeting, on the 

 motion of the Duke of Richmond, Earl Spencer took 

 the chair, and said that he would tell the audience the 

 reason why he wished the formation of this Society, and 

 that was the great benefits Scotland had derived from the 

 Highland Society established there some fifty years ago. 

 Agriculture in Scotland, fifty or sixty years ago, was very 

 inferior to that of England, but such was no longer the 

 case ; and now, although there might be individual farms 

 in England as well cultivated as those in Scotland, there 

 was no tract of country equal in this respect to Scotland 

 generally. Some gentleman in the audience suggested 

 Norfolk, upon which Lord Spencer remarked, ' Norfolk is 

 very good, but only portions even of Norfolk were as well 

 cultivated as those he alluded to.' The improvement in 

 Scotland, he went on to say, was mainly attributable to the 

 exertions of the Highland Society. The Duke of Rich- 

 mond, in moving the first resolution, also adverted to the 

 benefit Scotland had received from the operations of the 

 Highland Society ; and he counselled the formation of the 



