Mr. C. S. READ, in returning thanks for the judges, expressed his acknowledgments to the Committee for having now for the fourth time during the last few years nominated him as one of the judges. He then made a series of comments on the stock exhibited, and proceeded as follows: No doubt agricultural societies like these do a great amount of good; they have lived through the age of abuse-of ridicule and unfriendly criticism, and everyone now acknowledges their usefulness. But there was one part of their proceedings that did not prosper-and that was the dinner. I am old enough to remember the time when the great feature of the day was the dinner; now the shows are well attended, and the dinner is shirked. A man learns something from the exhibition in the yard-he learns nothing at the dinner. I am well aware that it is a difficult matter to know how to please all parties with the after-dinner proceedings, and that our great agricultural authorities are at variance on this point. In our county, one noble lord says these dinners should be devoted entirely to social conviviality, and another great agricultural lord declares that they should be for the discussion of the farmers' grievances and woes. Now, I think that it is possible, by diffusing some practical information, to steer a middle course between the jovial sunshine and this dreary shade, taking care that the after-dinner discussion is not turned into a lecture, nor allowed to degenerate into the gossip of a market-table. It is the fashion now-a-days for everyone to admit the great progress of agriculture. Some parties, for reasons best known to themselves, will have it that all our agricultural progress has taken place in the last ten or fifteen years. Our improvement had been slow and sure, and we must look back full sixty years, to the days of the great Mr. Coke and good old Arthur Young to find the first step in agricultural progress. For years the movement was so slow and uncertain that agriculture could be hardly said to stand alone. But she did walk off in time; slowly at first-but briskly enough at last, and when the Royal Agricultural Society was established, some twenty-five years ago, we certainly began to trot. And now we have broken into a spasmodic gallop; for what with pedigree wheat and pedigree cattle, some people think there is to be no limit to the production of the earth, or the quantity of meat we shall raise. But we should all remember that it is much easier to step to the top of a ladder than to balance oneself on the summit; and it is much easier to grow a few great crops than to maintain that increased fertility; that it is easier to breed a few good cattle than to perpetuate all those good qualities through succeeding generations without inheriting some of those evils which are sure to follow in the train of all artificial systems. Take, for instance, our pedigree shorthorns the bulls are the perfection of symmetry and early maturity, but has not all this been obtained in conjunction with loss of size and strength of constitution? and the cows, though elegant and very fat, have forgotten that we expect them to hold calves and give us milk? There were, in my opinion, just as good cattle and just as good horses as there are now; for our celebrated Suffolks are so light, and such good steppers, that they have lost much of the character and strength of the draught-horse, and our Norfolk cob is all but extinct. And there seems to be still more exacting limits to the produce of the land. Our old farm books tell us that just as large crops of wheat were grown 30 years ago as now, and, that though we pride ourselves on our barley, barley just as prolific and more uniform in quality was produced then. The same remark applies to our root crops; it is certain that greater weights of mangolds, and even of swedes and turnips, were grown by our fathers than we can grow now, and notwithstanding all our artificial manures and the aid of science and chemistry, we find that when we overstimulate our corn crops the straw lodges and is diseased, and the moment we force our root crops too much, the bulbs become rotten or of worthless quality. Now, I hope that no one will imagine that there is, then, no improvement in our farming, and that agricultural societies have done no good. Why, where there was one good bred ox thirty years ago, there are twenty now; and where you found then one decent sheep, you can count hundreds. Where one good field of wheat was cultivated years back, now all the wheat on the farm is good alike; and where there was a patch of mangolds and a few turnips, now there are acres and fields. I only want to impress on you this, that it is easier to arrive at anything like perfection than to keep long to it, and that with our present

limited scientific knowledge there is a limit to the general production of corn and roots" which we cannot overcome." Mr. Read concluded with a few remarks on the Parochial Assessment Bill, and expressed a hope that some definite understanding would be arrived at as to what was to be included in the gross rental. In some Unions the committees had read the new act so as to include tithes and rates, while others only deducted the repairs, &c., off the gross, to arrive at the rateable value. The chairman said that the Poor Law Board had promised to send out a circular letter that would contain the proper explanation of the new act; he was sure that tithes and tenants' rates were never intended to be included in the grass.

Mr. H. K. TOMPSON, in returning thanks as a prize taker, stood up for the milking properties of the shorthorns, and said that he had been a breeder of pedigree-shorthorns for 15 years, and having the courage to draft out of his herd all those cows that were not good milkers, he had never any fault to find with his shorthorn dairy. Some breeders preferred those cows that laid on so much fat, but he thought that though a cow was better for a show-yard in good condition, very fat animals could never be regular breeders, nor good milkers.

Col. Sir THOMAS BEAUCHAMP also returned thanks as a successful candidate, and observed that he had been 15 years trying to arrive at the position in which he stood to-day, for till this year he had been rewarded for nothing but a colt and a turnip. He had, however, gone to Suffolk, and introduced, he believed, some of the best cart horses that celebrated county could produce, and he had also sent to Shropshire for the prize ewes, and he quite agreed with the judges in considering them a most useful and paying class of sheep.

Various discussions of a conversational character on many practical subjects were carried on during the evening, and among them the chairman told the company how he had planted a bushel of Mr. Hallett's pedigree wheat, how he found that by acting up to the printed instructions he had received, he could not get in more than a peck an acre, and stated his belief that he should grow an astounding crop of wheat.

THE BEDFORDSHIRE SOCIETY'S SHOW AT LEIGHTON BUZZARD.-The ploughing entries were not so large as usual, and the land was much too heavy for the horses. Ransomes, as stated last week, took the all-England Cup; the Howard's man meeting with a mistake in the measurement of his lands. There were only two farmers' sons, a circumstance that called forth a few remarks at the dinner by the Vice-President, who insisted upon the necessity of all young men in all branches of business beginning at the bottom of the ladder if they wished to be successful. The horses were by no means good. Mr. Stuart's very handsome premiums for years past have failed to improve the farm-horses of Bedfordshire, where they want a few good Clydesdale stallions. The cattle classes were pretty well represented. Messrs. Lawford, Robinson, Howard, Crouch, and Captain Oliver showing specimens of their respective Shorthorn herds; while the Duke of Bedford sent some of his well-bred Herefords, which gained a few high commendations. Most of the prize animals had been noticed at Battersea. The Leighton Town Cup for the best horned animal in the yard was awarded to Mr. Robinson's 2nd Duke of Airdrie, who, as we prognosticated, is making a very successful tour in the provinces. There was a fair entry of sheep in most of the classes, more particularly for cross-bred wethers and stock ewes, for which a prize was offered by the Vice-President (Mr. F. Bassett), and that Mr. Charles Howard took; while Mr. Hine gained the prize for cross-bred wethers with sheep of good quality, but too much trimmed. Mr. Jones's second prize was a very good pen with good size and plenty of wool. Mr. Newman showed a very excellent lot of Leicester wethers, which will be seen and noticed in the new Agricultural Hall. There was a short show of pigs, the boars of Mr. Hythe and James being very useful well-bred animals; but the sows were very indifferent. Mr. Hopkins, of Leighton, showed, for Mr. Harris's prize, a magnificent pen of fat pigs, which they easily won. hunters and hackneys were thought but little of. Mr. Battam's prize horse is a powerful one, but has a plain ewe neck, and there is a little too much daylight under him; while

The

Mr. Higgins' entry by Rochester struck us as being a very good mover. We could see but little of the hackneys, nor do we think their owners wished them to be very much inspected, for they were very carefully clothed up during the whole of the show; and this may also be said of most of the hunters. The dinner was well attended, the fare somewhat meagre, and

At the meeting of the Wigton Agricultural Society,, Robert Brisco, Esq. (the Chairman), Low Mill, in proposing the toast of the evening-" Prosperity to the Society"said: He had heard many grumblers, taking the lowest and most miserable views of these agricultural meetings, say that it was a trial for the obtaining of the prize. The prize! What was the prize to man? It was the honour, It was the ambition of the man that was brought out in it. It was the ambition of every man to say that he held the best, that by his care and selection-it might be by his breeding-he had produced an example to those around him among his friendly neighbours; for there was no bad feeling when a man could show his animals to his neighbours and say, "Now, my lads, I have beaten you all; try yourselves if you can beat me next time." That was a noble and generous feeling, and what was the result? No man could succeed in a great object but he must at the same time more or less diffuse the advantage and benefit to those around him. There were those who would never benefit by the advantage shown by others; but look to-day at the number of fine creatures shown, and let their possessors go back to thirty years ago. If anyone could rise from the grave of thirty years ago and look out now, he could not believe he was in the district of Wigton. From what was that change derived? Why, from the great progress they were making in England. Man was now raised up from the common hewer of wood and drawer of water; he was placed in his right position; and they had now machinery of wood and iron doing what man used to do. He was no longer the hard drudge. They wished to see his powers brought to bear upon greater powers than himself, and they had introduced the steam-engine and all the more improved implements of agriculture instead of the little old hoe that used to do the work. Talking of implements, that was a question that had puzzled agriculturists for a long time. It happened that the practical man in agriculture was rarely a mechanic. In recent years the great Agricultural Society of England, which had been the most valuable assistant that ever any interest possessed, had brought together the greatest talents in agriculture; and those men closeted and considered what was wanted, and how they thought these results might be brought about. They went to the mechanist, and said if he would only give them that which would accomplish their object there was the large remunerative prize. Take the reaping-machine, that had lain dormant for he did know how many years since Bell's time. It had lain till it rotted, until the model was carried away to America by emigrants who used it and brought it to perfection when we were at home sleeping, and never dreaming of such a thing being in existence. There was one machine which he had taken a good deal of interest in-M'Cormick's-but it was a defective machine. When he examined it, he found that the progression was faster than the cut, and all that was wanting was the driving cog-wheel to be changed from one of 54 inches to one of 60 inches; and at this moment that machine was working on the farm of a friend of his as perfect an implement as ever went across the land. He had also remarked this year how wonderfully a certain district which he should not point out-how wonderfully two or three farmers got their hay in. How green and perfect in every respect! They would ask how much more it cost them than that of any other farmer. It was immeasurably cheaper; it was as 3s. is to 10s. How was that brought about? There was not only the quality of it, but the rapidity of getting it in, and every operation was performed by a perfect set of machines. There was the mowing machine, the teddying machine, and the horse-rake, They

must not be thoughtlessly wedded to old customs. There was no doubt that old customs were a very safe guide up to a certain point, and the man was next to crazed who would throw the whole experience of his progenitors away. They might try as cautiously as they liked, but let there be a re solution to progress. Let them try to pick out the good implements, and remedy those that were not so good that were in use by their neighbours. These were points for them to consider; and such was the heavy demand made by consumers in this country, that they must either do their utmost to provide that farming must progress at a more rapid speed than hitherto, or else give up the battle that was now going on. England was never to yield. What had not been done by farming in the last ten years? Coming to the point of taking off the crop. It was perfectly wonderful that in the week before last in the port of Liverpool alone we imported 199,000 qrs. of wheat. When they considered that enormous quantity coming in in one week to fill up the deficiency they would all find in their own crops-when they considered that, it gave them some idea of the enormous demand made upon their exertions. Not only was there wheat, but maize and some other articles of food. He had been informed from what he considered the best authority that in America-that awfully unhappy country that was now cutting its own throat-there was the finest harvest this year that they had had for the last twenty years, and they had on their premises one-half of the crop of the preceding year. Now, they would think that would flood them out of the market themselves. Nothing of the kind; don't fear. There was a counteracting influence at work. The Americans wanted money, and they could only look to England, and it was for that reason that we would this year get a quantity of grain that would not have come to us in ordinary seasons; and for this reason there was not the demand for our goods to America there used to be, and ships going out for grain had to lay upon that grain the cost of double freightage. That would prevent it getting to such a pitch that the landlord must consider whether he must raise his rent. There was another great point they must not lose sight of. It was the great question they had heard whispered at various times in recent years that they were making such a change in their system of cropping in this country that they could sufficiently, speedily, and efficiently meet the changes that were taking place in the world. They all knew the enormous rise that had taken place in flesh meat in recent years. They knew that wages in the manufacturing districts had immensely risen in recent years. They might always take as their weather-glass or their storm-glass wages as the best indication of what would rule the prices of beef and mutton in the butcher market. If there was a great demand for labour, great wages would follow, and great wages would demand animal food, and when that demand came they must be prepared to meet it. Certainly the Americans were a very long-sighted people. They had seen the deficiency of beef in this country, and had cured and sent to us a supply of what eight years ago was not fit for an Englishman to eat-meat that shrunk into the shape of a sickle when put into the pan, and bacon when boiled curled all up, and left nothing but the skin. They were aware it was not fit to put into the frying-pan beside their own; and what was the cause? Why, because it was not fed. The Americans found the demand was for good material for ready cash; and they were now sending into this country as splendid ship beef or salt beef as any of them could wish to put their teeth into, showing the rapidity with which they have advanced, or they would never have been the nation they are. The

corned beef they sent here would give the supply, but the flesh meat of this country would always take the market in these districts when salt and cured beef would not be looked at. If there was a great return and a great securitythough that he doubted-but assuming that there was a great security in animal stock to produce that demand, it became a question for them to consider whether it was not desirable to give more attention to the production of the stock and less to wheat. When they considered the beautiful males they had seen to-day-oh! those sweet Shorthorned bulls, that melted the heart of an agriculturist to look upon, and far more to touch, for the touch of them today was pleasing beyond measure to his young eyes as a farmer-he did consider they should give more attention to the rearing of stock in the north of England, because they were more adapted for it, and more particularly cut out for it. The south would surpass them in splendid land and in the warmth and fineness of climate, but there was a sterling power in the soil of the north of England that was most of all qualified for the produce of young stock. There was a time when he was terrified and they were all terrified about the corn-laws. They could laugh at themselves now for being so mistaken, though he believed they had been honest in their convictions. However, "Let us take the good the gods provide us." They found they had benefited beyond measure, and they thanked those manufacturers of Manchester who had larger brains and eyes than they had. It was not for them to care whence the source, so that the stream were pure. With respect to wool, he remembered when he had a flock himself he was told that he was more than mad to give his attention to sheep when they looked at the enormous quantity of wool that came from Australia. He was asked if he thought that the coarsegrown wool of Cumberland could ever compete with that beautiful Australian merino wool. But he pointed to the prices they had got for English wool. Would the wool buyers leave them alone till they got hold of their wool? If they looked at statistics they would find that as the pro

portion of long wools imported had kept up, theirs had done so too. The great benefit of interchange between nations was proved on every side. If they looked at the French treaty, or any other treaty, they could not find an exception; the more liberal and open they were in their intercourse between nations, so the more and more greatly must this nation thrive. There was nothing that affected their interests, their profits, or their happiness more than that one question of climate. His friend (Dr. Tiffin) had alluded to the great improvements made in drainage, and the difference between narrow-laid drains and wide. When they drew the water from the land they considered they dried it. No doubt that was what they meant to do; but what did they gain by it? It was putting them so many degrees nearer the equator. As the success of the production of all animals really depended upon geothermal heat-that is, the heat of the earth-so the more rapidly they took the water from the land the more degrees were they increasing the real heat of their plants. It was proved in their hot-houses and in various other things, and it was one of the leading points for them to attend to. Instead of adopting the plans of the new society, called the Acclimatisation Society, which he said were all "bamm," they had plenty of animals in their own country, if they could only breed them. In the first place they were draining and mucking. Now, muck was like a great coat upon the land, and so was the aftermath, which they should not be over greedy about taking off. If they cut the land in autumn and left it exposed to the chilly cold of winter, they would have moss growing upon that land as sure as they had grass or grain growing before. In conclusion the Chairman alluded to the question of grain growing. They would never get good crops unless there was a certain division, so that the air and light could get in, and they must look up to heaven for increase of their crops-they must increase the length of the heads of their wheat, and not increase the number of little heads. Much might be gained by a good selection of the seed, for pedigree in wheat was of as great importance as pedigree in cattle,

The awards for these classes were made on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 14th and 15th of October. The following gentlemen officiated as judges on this occasion: Mr. J. Painter, Nottingham; Mr. P. Parkinson, Ryhall; and Mr. C. C. Lowe, Ryhall.

In class 1, for Swedish turnips, cultivated on any system in quantities of not less than 10 acres, a silver cup, value £10, given by the Hon. G. J. Noel, M.P., awarded to Mr. J. Christian, Barrow; Mr. W. H. Bullivant, Ashwell, commended.

Class 2, for Swedish turnips, as above, in quantities of not less than 5 acres, prizes given by the Right Hon. Viscount Campden; first prize of £7 10s., Mr. Hutton, Tixover; second of £3 10s., Mr. T. W. Fowler, Exton.

Class 3, for Swedish turnips, as above, in quantities of not less than 2 acres; prize of £3, given by the town and trade of Oakham, to Mr. E. G. Baker, Langham,

Class 4, for mangold wurtzel, as above, in quantities of not less than 3 acres, a prize of £3, given by the Hon. Roden Noel, to Mr. E. Wortley, Ridlington; the Right Hon. the Earl of Gainsborough, Exton Park, commended.

Class 5, for mangold wurtzel, as above, in quantities of not less than 1 acre, a prize of £2, given by the Society, to Mr. Suter, Brook.

Class 6, for cabbages, as above, in quantities of not less than 1 acre, a prize of £1, given by the Society, to the Right Hon. the Earl of Gainsborough.

Class 7, for turnips (not being swedes), as above, in quantities of not less than 5 acres, a silver cup, value £5, given by the town and trade of Oakham, to Mr. T. W. Fowler, Exton; Mr. J. G. Bosworth, Greetham, highly commended.

Perhaps nothing has done more for the general spread of

agricultural knowledge than the prize system; and in whatever form it may be offered, we happily find plenty of competitors, and by bringing one into competition with his neighbour it creates a jealousy between competing parties, and tends to the general good of the public. We were favoured on this occasion with capital weather, which increases the pleasure of an annual survey of the root crops of our country. There was a large entry, which extended across a breadth of country measuring about 14 miles from east to west, and say 12 from south to north, and though we cannot say we saw any one piece of swedes so good as that of Mr. Bullivant's in 1860, for weight and quality, yet we found a general good crop, quite up to an average of years, In class 1, for swedes, we had a good entry, and after a careful inspection we found Mr. Christians' Al (the seed Mr. Bullihere was supplied by Warner of Leicester). vant's were good, but not up to the mark in quality; Mr. Baker's were well grown; and Earl Gainsborough's were clean and well cultivated, not forgetting Mr. Bradford's, which, considering the thin soil and the absence of farmyard manure, were highly creditable. In class 2, Mr. Hatton's were well grown and quite matured, and Mr. Fowler's were of first-rate quality, though evidently later sown, and may yet be a heavy crop. In class 3, Mr. Baker's were good, and growing on the "sunny" side of the county, as the land was "good enough." In class 4, for mangold wurtzel, Mr. Wortley showed us a much better piece than we once thought to find (as mangolds are considerably below an average crop); he was closely run here by his noble landlord, who gained a commendation. In class 5, for 1 acre, we found Mr. Suter in his accustomed place, first. And here we may learn a lesson and one that convinces us we leave too much in the hands of disinterested seedgrowers, who take no care in selecting the best and most perfectly formed roots for reproduction, as here the grower

has for several years back grown his own seed, and we remember in 1860 seeing his seed growing from bulbs which were not less than 36 inches in circumference, and of a beautiful form. But we regret that such a good selecter should only feel it to be worth his time to grow sufficient for himself. Of course this was quite visible in his crop, and we might truly say, it was "model" root growing. In class 6 for cabbages, the Earl of Gainsborough followed up his success of 1861, by being No. 1. Class 7, for turnips (not being swedes): here was the great "success" of the year, as during our five years' " pilgrimage" we have never seen a piece so good as Mr. Fowler's, backed up as it was

by that of Mr. Bosworth's" highly commended" crop, which might fairly have been thought good enough to take a prize in any season. The seed in both these pieces was supplied by Mr. Sharpe, of Sleaford, and does him great credit, as they are large, well-shaped roots of the noted Lincolnshire "round reds," which sort are gaining great favour here, and are a good, hardy sort.

The judges kindly gave their two days' services gratuitously to the society, and were well entertained by its members each day, and signed the award after requesting the Secretary to add, "We the judges are perfectly unanimous."

SALE OF SHORTHORNS AT

The twentieth annual sale of young short-horned bulls and heifers, bred by Mr. Cruickshank, took place at his farm, on Thursday, the 9th Oct. The stock offered for sale consisted of 30 bull and 10 heifer calves, and there was but one opinion as to the very high merit of the animals generally. Previous to the hour of sale, Mr. Cruickshank's herd was examined, and attracted much attention, more particularly the sires in use. These included "Lord Raglan (13244), a bull of nine or ten years, of immense substance and quality, the winner of many prizes, challenge cups, and gold medals; " Ivanhoe " (14735), a son of “ Lord Raglan," also the winner of numerous prizes in the border counties, and from the famous "Old Cherry" tribe; "Baron Nonpareil" (17376), a bull of much style; "Champion of England" (17526), is a wonderful bull, fine straight back, good loins, and extraordinary girth, rich in colour and hair, with a lively, yet placid countenance: the "Czar," a red bull, son of "Lord Raglan," very promising and handsome (he obtained the first prize, as a yearling, at the Royal Northern Society's show, in spring and autumn last); "President Lincoln," another very stylish red bull, also a son of "Lord Raglan;" "Lord Raglan 2nd," a fine roan, and another offshoot of the old gentleman. Probably the most attractive of this extensive stud was Windsor Augustus," bred by Mr. Carr, Yorkshire, and recently purchased by Mr. Cruickshank. He is a son of the noted bull Windsor "

(Mr. Booth's). "Windsor Augustus" is a dark roan, nearly two years old. He was third at the Royal Society's show in Battersea-park. As may be remembered, there were complaints at the time as to the awards in this class. Since then, "Windsor Augustus" has competed at York, Durbam, and Lincoln, against the Battersea first prize bull Whipper-in," and on each occasion he stood first, beating his opponents.

"

The following is the resuit of the sale:

BULLS.

|

SITTYTON, NEAR ABERDEEN.

22

Michael Angelo, red, calved March 13, 1862, got by Gs.
Lord Garlie; Mr. Masson, Whiterashes
Roley Poley, red, calved Feb. 1, 1862, got by Lord
Sackville; Mr. John Ross, Tullo

Rampant, red, calved March 7, 1862, got by Ivanhoe;
Mr. John Burr, Little Gourdass, Fyvie
Bridesman, red, calved March 17, 1862, got by Bride-
groom; Mr. Walker, Lumphart

Louis Napoleon, red, calved March 19, 1862, got by
Champion of England; Sir John Sinclair, Bart.,
Caithness

28

33

20

29

22

22

21

31

31

39

35

39

25

25

52

Gs.

Hotspur, red, calved March 23, 1862, got by Ivanhoe; Mr. Ledingham, Hayhillock

33

Bulwark, roan, calved Dec. 3, 1861, got by Lord
Brougham; Mr. Maitland, Netherton, Insch
Port and Sherry, roan, calved Dec. 9, 1861, got by Lord
Stanley; Mr. Walker, Daviot

..

44

Prime Minister, roan, calved Jan. 1, 1862, got by Lord

Maid of Kent, white, calved Feb. 20, 1862, got by Lan-
caster Royal; Mr. Wyness, Knaggons, Fintray
Mary Stewart, red, calved March 6, 1862, got by Lord
Garlies; taken out at

17

25

40

Sheet Anchor, roan, calved Jan. 21, 1862, got by Lord
Sackville; Mr. Dean, Balquhain
Holbein, red and white, calved Jan. 22, 1862, got by
Champion of England; Mr. Thomson, Newseat
Duke of Lancaster, roan, calved Jan. 14, 1862, got by
Lancaster Royal; Mr. Keith, Chapeltown, Ellon 30
Medallion, roan, calved Feb. 14, 1862, got by Lord Rag-
lan; Mr. Scott, Glendronach
May Duke, roan, calved Feb. 5, 1862, got by Lancaster
Royal; Dr. Thomson, Inverury

Polly, red, calved April 19, 1862, got by Banker (Lord Raglan's grandson); taken out at

13

Bianca, white, calved April 27, got by Banker; taken

It is a pleasant thing in a lord-loving country like ours to get a nod from a great man, the more especially if the donor be not a mere dummy, but with really "something in him." The compliment becomes proportionately the more pointed when our friend, at least, affects to take an active interest in our welfare, and passes on from the conventional "how-de-do?" to some more direct reference as to how we are all going on? Moreover, he may possibly be able to assist us a little if he so chooses, and as a consequence we are very much obliged to him for his kind inquiries, and as duly impressed with what he has to tell us. Amongst other unexpected pleasures during the last few weeks the Chancellor of the Exchequer has been looking in upon Agriculture. He has even done the old lady the honour to stop and dine with her, and further favoured the party, during the course of the evening, with one of his famous addresses. And this of itself is "something," for Mr. Gladstone cannot speak in differently upon any subject, while for point and force he is the only rival of Lord Derby for the laurel leaf as the most brilliant orator of the day.

But Mr. Gladstone at Mold, on Wednesday, Sept. 24, spoke with something more weighty than even the great gift of eloquence to back him. He occupied "the place of the day" as chairman of the Flintshire Agricultural Society, and thus stood thrice-armed as the man of genius, the patron of agriculture, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ability, opportunity, and power were all at his command, and an afterdinner speech under such circumstances may be yet worth remembering hereafter. Of course we must allow something for the position the right honourable gentleman occupied, and his character of the modern farmer is certainly flattering enough. "Societies of this kind," too," are of the very greatest possible interest and importance, and they more than anything else tend to show that the agricultural interest is not always what it has been sometimes supposed to be-behind the rest of the world." Such a speaker, however, as Mr. Gladstone cannot be content only with talking, but must straightway deduce and refine upon that he may start with. He is, then, intent not so much perhaps upon a picture of the farmer as he is or was, as upon all he must be: "There was a time, undoubtedly, when the farmer was looked upon as a different kind of person from a manufacturer, and when it was supposed that a very average standard of mental qualities, if not physical exertion, would suffice for the performance of the duties of those who are engaged in the cultivation of the earth. But we have now found out, on the contrary, that everything more or less connects itself with the cultivation of the soil, and that it not only involves all the knowledge which science can bring to bear upon the manufacture of implements the most suitable to be employed in cultivation, but a high chemical knowledge of all the qualities of those restoratives which in their thousand forms replenish and revive the surface of the ground; consequently, that the duties and functions which constitute the business of a farmer are such as to afford the amplest scope to the greatest efforts, whether mental or physical, of the highest order of intelligence which can be brought to bear upon the subject, and that, if it is pursued in the manner in which it ought to be pursued, in a manner worthy of itself, the man who pursues it as an occupa

tion must be a man of active mental, as well as of active bodily habits, and the more he exercises those gifts of the mind and that power of thought with which Providence has endowed him, the greater and more conspicuous will be his success in his calling." This is rather a high standard; but even with such a combination of qualities agriculture must not be expected to ever pay as good a per-centage upon outlay as would be realized by many other means. When a man has made a fortune by business he takes to farming as an amusement, and an hour or two by the Express convert the Alderman of Leadenhall Street into the Squire of Tiptree. There is the best classic authority, as we are pretty sure to hear at every rural gathering, for turning the fine edge of our weapon as we fashion it into a plough-share; and "inasmuch as agriculture is by far the most healthy, by far the most agreeable, and, on the whole, by far the most satisfactory of all pursuits, it would be a very unequal distribution of the benefits of Providence if agriculture had coupled with all these advantages an overbearing share of the profits of industry." This is candid at any the premises upon which it is drawn. No man must rate; but the inference is still scarcely compatible with it is simply an agreeable way of passing the time, rather count upon making a fortune by farming. If anything, more playing at business than anything else. From been done tends only to show how much more there is no man, however, is more expected. Much that has to be done. "You have indeed achieved great proof cultivating the ground. Great, however, as that gress both in the application of manure and the mode progress has been, I believe that still more remains to be achieved. It was once thought that the cultivation of the land had reached its limits, and no more could be obtained from it. It is perfectly true that to some but at the same time you will recollect, that while we extent this will always be a corn-producing country; grow a great quantity of corn, the people are now so increased in numbers that there is an enormous demand for all kinds of esculents which the farmers find

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it profitable to grow, and, conesquently, to some extent of corn, and no doubt more or less we shall always do we do throw ourselves on foreign nations for a supply At the same time this is fraught with good; because, while other nations supply us with corn, our there is an immense saving of labour here, we commerce is extended; and while on the one hand strengthen those bonds of amity and cordiality which should exist among all the nations of the world. I believe you will, however, find that the present products of the soil in this land have by no means reached their maximum."

Entering into occasional detail, the Chancellor of the Exchequer dwells, as Lord Derby did at Preston, on the utilization of town sewage; and upon this topic we may deduce a little further from the right honourable gentleman's speech. There have been foolish people now for years past, who have been talking and writing, and repeating themselves about the use and value of sewage, as if it was simply the farmer's fault that it had not been put into use, and that he did not know its value. Mr. Gladstone by no means goes so far as this; but still he speaks as if the sewage should be at once employed upon the land, and he makes a point of saying this to a meeting of agriculturists. He might much more ap.

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