The French Peasant-Farmers' Seed Fund. 327 
which prostrated me for a month. As soon as I began to recover 
I wrote to his Excellency to say that I felt unable to prosecute 
the scheme, and recommended him to address the Earl of Powis 
on the subject ; for as the Cattle Show was at hand, his Lordship, 
as President of the Club, would have an opportunity of bringing 
the subject before the farmers of England. I am very glad that the 
question has been taken up by your Lordship and other influential 
men connected with agriculture, and I have no doubt that the 
farmers and landed proprietors of England will respond to the call 
for their aid in a manner not only gratifying to the general British 
public, but which will gladden thousands of the cultivators of 
the soil of France, and probably for generations beget in their 
minds and hearts kindly feelings towards the English people." 
Mr. Howard's illness unfortunately continued in a more or 
less severe form for several months, but he acted throughout as 
Honorary Treasurer of the Fund, and took as active a part in its 
operations as the state of his health would permit. 
An Executive Committee w-as afterwards nominated on the 
principle that every branch of the agricultural interest should 
be duly represented, and it finally consisted of the following 
members, in addition to the honorary officers already men- 
tioned : — Messrs. T. Aveling, James Caird, C.B., J. Algernon 
Clarke, Henry Corbet, and Millis Coventry, Capt. Dashwood, 
Capt. Delf, Major-General Sir Vincent Eyre, K.C.B., G.C.S.L, 
and ^Messrs. J. Furley, W. Harris, G. Horne, A. Mongredien, 
J. Odams, P. Pavy, C. B. Pitman, C. S. Read, M.P., N. Rix, 
and W. Wells, M.P. 
The first duty of the Executive Committee was to take the 
measures necessary for the collection of subscriptions in cash as 
well as in corn. For this purpose they endeavoured to establish 
county committees consisting of prominent agriculturists, and 
including the President and Secretary of every Agricultural 
Society, Farmers' Club, and Chamber of Agriculture in the 
kingdom. Many of these committees worked exceedingly well, 
but in other districts the ground was better occupied by the 
pre-existing committees of the various agricultural associations. 
Both results were satisfactory to the Seed-Fund Committee, and 
encouraging to those who are endeavouring to perfect the organi- 
zation of farmers' clubs and other agricultural institutions in 
the districts in which their operation is still limited. The 
Committee also appealed to the Boards of Guardians throughout 
the country, and they rendered most efficient assistance in the 
collection of subscriptions. I state this fact in thankful recog- 
nition of the exertions of the Boards, and also as an evidence of 
the thorough manner in which they represent the agricultural 
interests of the country. The French Peasant- Farmers' Seed- 
Fund was, in fact, an essentially agricultural movement, and the 
