The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-01-17 00:00:00

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growing meat, contending that they could not grow it
without roots and corn, and that if they were to
attempt to grow roots in succession they would entirely
fail; but the principle they were adopting now of corn,
roots, and meat, he believed to be the right system.
He agreed with Mr. Damen that less meat was now
graced than formerly, and asked what would be the
consequence if they were to give up corn growing ?
What price would corn be? It would be left to the
foreigner entirely to be the producer of corn for Beg-
laud. At the present time England was the least corn
growing country of any in the world, and if they
were to give up growing corn they would give up !
the staple commodity of this country to the
foreigner. In alluding to the remarks made
by Mr. Damon as to the price of meat, Mr. Homer said
the price of meat must be governed in a great measure
by the price of corn. Supposing this year they had
been left, as they were, without a root crop, or only
half a root crop; and supposing corn had been a scarce
commodity, and very dear, what remuneration would
agriculturists have at the present time for grazing? He
could not see any whatever. But corn being low
graziers had been able to obtain remunerative prices.
He could not see that, by altering the present system of
farming, it would be any benefit at all to the
people of this country. What was the effeet of the
' present system? They were keeping down the price of
, corn by using all their exertions to grow it. If
foreigners could produce meat cheaper than they could,
they would do so. The demand and surply must go to-
gether, and if they ooald not get a auflleent supply to
keep meat at a low price, why did not foreigners do
so? Because they oould not. They could import coin
without any risk, but cattle they could not. With regard
to the Malt Tax, he said agriculturists only wanted fair
play, but the legislation had put so many restrictions
upon the use of malt for feeding purposes, that it was
impossible to carry it out. It would be a great benefit to
them if they had free access to their malt, and scold
mix it with other things, for if they could do that they
would be able to produce more meat than at present.
Mr. JOHN GALPIN, on being pressed to make a few
remarks, said the only point in which be dissented
from Mr. Damen was when he stated that there seemed
. .

a disposition out —of doors to hinder the advance-
ment of agricultural prospects. He did not ,
think such was the case. For his own part
he was rather disposed to think that too much of
political matters had been the subject of discussion
in this club. That was his opinion, although he might
not receive the assent of other members present. He
wished to avoid entering into these subject at all, and
hoped the day would never arrive when Agricultural
Boards or Commercial bodies should so influence their
members that they would not be able to maintain an
upright and rionaciencious course, but that they would
always advance the best interest of three whom they

represented.
The CRernmeN : I understood you draw • distinction
between the feeling in the House of Commons and out
of it? In the House of Commons you say nothing
about?
__

ldr. GALPIN : No.
Mr. Dtmui : Thank you, Mr. Wood, this is a great
distinction.

Mr. T. H. SAUNDIRB endorsed all the remarks which
had been made by Mr. Damon and Mr. Homer, and
said it was impossible for agriculturists to grow barley
at a guinea • quarter. They could grow a good sample
of barley if they could get • fair remuneration, but it
was impossible to do so at a guinea a quarter.
Mr. 1)out said he believed the subject of this
evening's discussion was "Cattle versus Corn and
Malt." He thought if they took things on a broad
view, his opinion was that the more stock they kept
the more corn they would grow. After stating that a
great deal more land WAS now broken up than was the
ease 30 years ago, on account of which more stock was
kept, he said there was one thing in this county against
which they had to contend, but which was very
little thought of either in Farmers' Club., or even when
they were going to enter upon the lease of a farm, and
that was the climate. They had as good a sample of
land here as in most counties in England, but the
climate was very bad. If they only went 20 or 30 miles,
say to Christchurch, or from there to Southampton or
Portsmouth, he was satisfied men could prodnoe more
stock by roots only, in ordinary seasons, than by all
the roots and corn which could be grown in this county.
This ought to be a great consideration when a man
took • farm. There was one thing which they did not
consider in taking a farm, and that was the loss of
stook. A person once put a question to him, whether
he thought there was more stock in the country now
than there was 20 years ago. He replied, without
giving the question much consideration, oertainly, but
he thought it was a great probability if there was more
meat proluced. For instance, in the market that day
there were a lot of sheep sold, which in a little time
would have amounted to 10 stone, but which were then
only seven, and there was much stook sold at a time
just when they were beginning to pay. This was in
consequence of the increase in consumption, but he
contended than the population were the losers.
Formerly much more weight was produoed than was
now the case. This Was not the case with corn. They
must grow that until it arrived at perfection. Henoe
the low price of corn and the high price of meat.
Mr. DAMYN said he must say the club had done him
this honour—they had found very little fault with what
he had said. He wished to show from the very first.
what was the duty of producers of corn, and that of
constituents especially, with regard to the Malt
Tax; and he would say one word with regard
to Mr. Galpin's remarks. He (Mr. Damen) did
not for one moment suspect that there was any
ill feeling whatever against the agricultural body not
only in the mind of Mr. Galpio, whom they all respected,
nor in neighbouring towns. He only wished to look
upon it in a political point of view that their interests
generally had been neglected in the House of Commons
for some years past. He only wished to put it in that
way, and he thought, upon reflection, Mr. Galpin must
admit that agricultural members had not had that
weight, for some years past, as they should have ex-
pected under Free-Trade. With regard to that question,
the Malt Tax, he must say that the agricultural body
had not been done justice to. He (Mr. Damen) did not
wish to put it in any party way. He did not wish to
raise any discussion as to the rival interest between the
town and country, between agriculture and manufae-.
ture ; all they asked for was that justice might be dealt
out to them as agriculturists as was dealt out to the
manufacturing interests. (Hear, hear.)
The CHAIRMAN said in the very few observations he
bad to address them, he would first take notice of the
views which he entertained on the remarks svhioh the
previous speakers had made; and first of all with regard
to h a friend, Mr. Damen, as to the importance of the
subject which he had spoken of. He (the chairman)
did not consider any practical question, bearing upon
agriculture, was unimportant to the country, and there-
fore not unimportant to them as an Agricultural Club.
It appeared to him it touched a matter of the greatest
importance —of vital importance —namely, how
they were to feed the people, and how they
were to support the agricultural interest in
particular. The other matter was in regard to his
friend, Mr. Galpin, not as to the distinction be had
drawn between agriculture within the House of Com-
mons or outside the House, but as to the question
of introducing politics in clubs of this kind ; and
here, he must say, he entirely differed from him. With
agricultural politics they had to deal, and such polities
were strictly within their province; he could not sit as a
member of that club without insisting upon that condi-
tion. They had to do with the agricultural politics of
the country; to confine themselves to them, and, laying
aside all party,politios, there was full license to every
meaiber of the club to go as fully as he liked into agri-
cultural politica. This brought him to the observations
of Mr. Damen is to ignoring all agricultural claims in
the House of Commons, and he (the chairman) thought,
upon the whole, he was right in what he said. There
had been an ignoring of the claims, and they could not
look for a better instance than this—the Malt Tax
Protection had been taken away from the British agri
culturists for the sake of the common weal, and the
elaimed that equal justice should be done net
them; for if Protection was taken away from th
English agriculturist on the growth of corn to the
benefit of the foreign grower, justice could not be refused
to the English grower by taking away a tax which
preasea as a tax upon the home producer of that kind
of serial crop which ranked second in importance to all
he grew. The scope of Mr. Damen's argument was to
show the fallacy of those gentlemen (seining out of Par-
liament in their individual capacity, and recommending
the production and fattening stook of primary import-
ance, and the growth of corn as a matter of secondary
importance. He thought Mr. Damen had euceeeded in
showing the (anew of the question by referring it to
practical agriculturists themselves. It Was not necessary
to tell them about that. They would goon find out
what was the most profitable way of farming their land,
and he believed that portion of agriculture which be
himself was best acquainted with, the system which
had been adopted for the last 20 years, was the
system they must proceed with. He believed Mr.
Duke to be right when he said the two systems of
keepUg stook and the growth of corn, most go together
in order to make farming at all remunerative to the
farmer. As he understood him, the larger the amount
of land under plough, speaking of the light hills of the
county, the larger the amount of stock could be kept.
After a few further remarks he said the present system
of farming might be modified to the advantage of the
farmer, but as to turning over the system he though it
would be madness. He took it that the largest amount et
a farmer's income came from the corn which he sold. He
knew if they were to take such a farm—many of whist}
were to be found in the county—a corn growing and
stock breeding farm, that as much money would be
derived from the produee of the corn as from the'
produce of all their stock. Speaking of the duty
of county members, he said that Mr. Damen had
stated that in their individual capacity them)
individuals advised a system of farming which
they know nothing about, and he says let
them attend to their duties in the House of
Commons, and let them do them justice. What did
agriculturists ask for I For fair play and justice which
they were able to give them, amid that they would give
thcm Free• Trade in their borne productions as they had
given the foreigner Free Trade in their foreign produc-
tions. Mr. Damen had also spoken of official oommnei-
cation with county members. All he (the Chairmen)
could say was that they were in better eommunicatien
with them now than they were before. The establish-
ment of Farmers' Clubs had brought them more into
immediate contact with county members than was one
realised before. With that he most heartily agreed,
and rejoiced to know it was the ease, but he did not all
why Agricultural Boards should not exist as well as
Commercial Boards. If there was a BoariolCommerce
why should they not have a Board of Agriculture? the
main object being for protecting the farmer on the one
hand, and the manufacturer on the other. Let boards
ooramunicate with each other, and let each go on in the
course of prosperity.
A vote of thanks to Mr. Damen for his able lecture
may . I brought the meeting to MI end,
u from I

DEATH OT ML JAM Wtleatesi-Wautamr.—This
favourite and esteemed Wahasan Imithh aetor—a con-
temporary of Edmund Kew and Bilstem—died at New
York on Christmas-day, aged 69, having been born in
London in 1795.
The consumption of Foreign Wines in the United
Kingdom during the past year bag greatly ineressed.
The Board of Trade Returns show an increase on the
Duty payments of 1864 of more than a million gallons
over those of 1883. Among more than 2,000 houses who
paid duties on Wine in London, the following merchants
exhibited the largest returns
:-
W. hA. Grrailm • - • • 282,610
MASTINEI k Co. • • • • 160,261
BVILSOMA Aotk. wit /wed z., • VidgfiXi• rt-