504 
Tlie Cumherland and Westmoreland 
not the same occasion to grumble at the weather which befell 
the visitors to that exhibition. They had thus excellent oppor- 
tunities of making themselves acquainted with the merits of 
the several farms, and they always met with that kind-hearted 
hospitality and welcome which distinguishes so pre-eminently 
the British farmer, whilst they found everj^ desire to give 
information among the competitors. The Judges were thus 
able to satisfy themselves on most points alluded to in their 
instructions, but there was one to which their attention was 
directed, in which the farmers of the north, as well as the south, 
seem to be behind the times. I allude to general neglect of 
correct and methodical book-keeping. Such omission by emi- 
nently practical and intelligent men is scarcely creditable, and 
the excuse that it is not customary with farmers to keep accounts 
is no vindication of the practice. I must be careful not to include 
all our competitors in this condemnation. Many of them had 
fragmentary figures which gave us much information, but only 
two or three of them approached any system of book-keeping by 
which the whole of the farm losses and profits for a series of 
years could be accurately ascertained. I mention this subject 
because at the present time it is very necessary that the atten- 
tion of farmers should be called to it, and also because I think 
the well-educated and hard-headed men of the north are qualified 
to set a good example in this respect. 
Many of the farms in Classes I. and II. showed considerable 
merit, as will be gathered from the following Report ; and as 
there was no entry in Class IV., the Judges much hoped the 
Local Committee, the donors of the prizes, would consent to 
devote the sum offered in that class for special or extra prizes 
in the classes mentioned. Failing this, however, they appealed 
to the Council of the Society to grant some recognition of 
the merits of one farm in each class which they indicated, 
and it afforded them much pleasure to find that Mr. Atkinson 
and Mr. Benson were presented by the Society with prizes of 
10/. each, which they worthily deserved. 
Finally, beyond many pleasant memories and much valuable 
information, the Judges carried home with them a high appre- 
ciation of the excellent agriculture and industrious habits of the 
farmers of the two counties, and they can but express their 
acknowledgments of much courtesy and kindness received, to 
each and all of the families of the competitors ; and their admira- 
tion of the qualities which seem to have been perpetuated for 
many generations in the district, and which, so far as human 
efforts can avail, have helped to save their possessors from the 
misfortunes which have befallen farmers in other localities. 
