Tuesday , June 26, 1894. 
xcv 
the Council, where the work which 
has been done by the Committees 
is brought together and recorded for 
the use of the members of the 
Society. But although the share 
of these labours which have devolved 
upon me has been of a very slight 
and insignificant character, I can 
assure you that it has given 
me the greatest satisfaction to be 
able personally to see how well 
the business of this Society is trans- 
acted by the members of the Council, 
and by its admirable permanent 
officials. Of course much of the 
present success of our Meetings is due 
to the increased facilities of locomo- 
tion which have been given by the 
railways, and to other causes ; but I 
do not think that a Society which has 
made such great and striking pro- 
gress during the last half-century 
can be said to be representative of so 
backward and unenergetic a race of 
men as the farmers of England are 
sometimes represented to be. I wish, 
gentlemen, that I could congratulate 
you upon the progress and prosperity 
of agriculture having been commen- 
surate with the progress and prosper- 
ity of this Society. I am afraid that 
at few periods have you been suffering 
more acutely than you are at present 
from a period of chronic depression ; 
but I think we may safely say that, 
gloomy in some respects as are the 
existing prospects of agriculture, they 
would have been far worse but for the 
assistance and the efforts of this 
Society and its members, which have 
been the means of placing the best 
knowledge and the best ability at the 
disposal of the agricultural commu- 
nity. I can have no doubt that the 
Society has been of the utmost value 
to the farmers and to all who are con- 
nected with agriculture in this coun- 
try ; and, in leaving the chair which I 
have had the honour to occupy during 
the present year, I can only express 
my best wishes for its continued 
success and prosperity, and my satis- 
faction that I am able to announce 
to you the fact that I leave the chair 
of this Society when the number of 
its members is greater than at any 
former period of its history. I beg to 
thank you most cordially for the vote 
of thanks you have been pleased to 
pass to me, and at the same time the 
Council and its permanent officials for 
the unwearying assistance they have 
given me through the year. 
President for 1894-95. 
The Earl of Derby, in moving 
“ That Sir John Thorold, Bart., do 
take the Chair after the conclusion 
of the present Meeting,” said that 
most of them knew how hard Sir 
John had worked in the interests of 
the Society, and the excellent and 
practical acquaintance he had with 
agriculture, and how he had been 
ready for the last fifteen years to 
work in all departments and upon all 
the Committees of which their noble 
President had spoken, and how on 
all occasions he had worked with 
advantage to the Society, and with 
the cordial goodwill of all his col- 
leagues. 
Mr. J. J. Colman, M.P., said he 
had great satisfaction in seconding 
the resolution. Lord Derby had 
said in appropriate language what 
they all felt with regard to Sir John 
Thorold. He had borne the burden 
aDd heat of the day in a less conspicu- 
ous way than as President, and had 
shown how fitted he was for the 
honour now proposed to be bestowed 
upon him. 
The motion having been carried by 
acclamation, 
Sir John Thorold, in reply, 
thanked the meeting very much for 
the cordial way in which they had 
accepted his nomination to this re- 
sponsible office. What work he had 
been able to do for the Society had 
been to him a labour of love. He had 
met with the greatest kindness and 
assistance from all his colleagues. He 
would not detain them longer than to 
say that the same sentiment which 
animated him animated them : they 
could not do too much or work too 
hard to ensure the success of that 
great Society. 
The proceedings then terminated. 
92 
