Tlie Royal Agricultural Society of England. 889 = 623 
CHAPTER IV. 
The Pkopag.vnda op Agriculture, 
NDER this heading I shall attempt to describe briefly the 
anner in which the Society endeavours to promulgate the facts 
id principles ol modern improved agriculture to its Members 
rough its ' Journal,' and to the farmers, land-agents, and 
■terinary surgeons of the future by stimulating their technical 
lucation through the offer of rewards for special success at 
hool and at College. 
The Journal. — From the date of its establishment in 1838, The ' Journal.' 
e publication of a periodical ' Journal ' has been one of the 
stinctive features of the Society's efforts. For the first three 
ars three " parts " were published in each year, but since 
en only two, namely, one in spring before seed-time, and one 
autumn after harvest. 
To a student of agricultural history, a comparison of the con- 
iits of the earliest with the successive and the latest volumes 
the ' Journal ' cannot fail to suggest many interesting ques- 
)ns. Forty years ago, when railways were comparatively 
\v and far between, residents in remote country districts seldom 
id the opportunity of meeting to discuss practical questions 
hich were then beginning to acquire importance. In those 
lys, too, class newspapers devoted to technical subjects were 
)mparatively unknown. Therefore the earlier volumes of the 
Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society ' teemed with short 
actical articles written by enthusiastic landowners and farmers 
ho had been among the founders of the Society, and who were 
icouraged and stimulated by the example and the exhortations 
' the first editor of the ' Journal ' — Mr. Pusey, M.P. — to whom 
nglish agricultural literature, from a practical point of view, 
indebted to an extent that is probably exceeded only by the 
■rvices of Arthur Young. 
In the course of time, greater intercourse between farmers, the Its history, 
lormous development of the newspaper press, and other cir- 
imstances, induced the writers of short practical essays to seek 
nmediate publication, instead of waiting for the six-monthly 
iterval between the publication of the numbers of the Society's 
lournal.' The Council, therefore, found it necessary to offer 
rizes for well-considered essays on selected subjects ; and for a 
Ties of years the contents of the ' Journal ' very largely con- 
sted of the " crowned " memoirs, many of which were well 
orthy of their success, and to this day hold their ground as 
xt-books upon their several subjects. 
I 
