The late George Turner. 
693 
correspondence, or accounts — engaged him. And though 1 have 
no report to give of his farming apart from the successes of his 
stock, yet one so energetic certainly did not fail to make the 
land produce its utmost for both man and beast. Mr. Druce 
speaks of the attention he devoted to the catch-meadow system 
of irrigation, by which in Devonshire early green food is 
provided for the flock. And at the Exeter Meeting of the 
Royal Agricultural Society in 1850 a large party were wel- 
comed on his farm, to whom he explained and illustrated the 
process, letting the water on roughly and out of season for the 
purpose. 
Mr. Turner left the Barton farm some twenty years ago, 
owing partly to political differences with the landowner ; and, 
retiring to Great Bowley — a smaller occupation, his own pro- 
perty — his business thereafter was to some extent restricted. 
Still, however, his Devon cattle and his Leicester sheep were 
annually sent for almost invariable success, until — his sons 
leaving him, for the Church or the army, or for agricultural 
occupation in another county — he at length concluded, not, 
however, until he was past eighty years of age, to give up 
business. The sale of his stock took place in 1881, at a period 
of great agricultural depression, when, of course, they did not 
realise such prices as he had obtained for them annually before. 
Both Devon cattle and Leicester sheep are less distinctly in 
the front rank among competing breeds than they used to be ; 
and it was with something of a disappointment that a long 
agricultural career was brought to an end. Not, however, that 
honours had been wanting of a kind most likely to give him 
great pleasure. He was elected an honorary Vice-President of the 
Bath and West of England and Southern Counties Association, 
and he had received a very handsome gift of plate from his 
neighbours on leaving Barton, on which the following words 
were inscribed : — " To Mr. George Turner, of Barton, in testi- 
mony of the sense his numerous friends entertain of the 
important benefits he has conferred on the Western Counties 
by his persevering and successful efforts to improve the breed 
of cattle, and his spirited and liberal conduct for the advance- 
ment of the agricultural interest in all its branches." 
Mr. Turner retained his warmth for the agricultural interest 
till the last. I had the pleasure to receive from him one of 
the latest letters on public affairs he can have written. It 
was dated June 28 of last year, and was written in answer to 
a request for information on the promise of that year's harvest. 
" I send you," he said, " my opinion of the prospects of agri- 
culture in this neighbourhood ; and my great age (within two 
months of ninety) must be my apology for any mistakes that 
