The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-06-05 00:00:00

DORCHESTER MEETING.

A science, upon the right understanding of which t e
cultivation of the soil of a country and the maintenance
of its peeple materially depend, cannot but he one of
deep and vital interest to all classes of the community.
The inereming of the comforts and conveniences of life,
the advancement of commerce, and the elevation of
saciety by ddfusing • love of art, are all deserving of
every encouragement which the mind and energies of
in in can bring to beer upon them ; but even these must
yield in importance to the cultivation of the soil, upon
which the human faintly is located, and to which it must
look as the resource for the supply of its daily food.
And PA the population of a country increases, if it would
retain its position in the scale of nations, eo also chs s
the necessity exist that the soil should be made more
productive than heretofore. To effect this object, a
better mode of cultivation must be adopted, more effi-
cient implements must be employed, and science and
practice must join hand in hand.

It is true that in a certain sense the agriculturist must
rely upon his industry and skill for success, but be omit
not stop here. If we look into the history of the past,
we shall find that men engaged in pursuits—whether for
war or for peace —whether for religious, moral, 'cies.
life, literary, or artistic purposes,—have in all ages and
under every circumstance acted upon the principle of
mutual association and combination. There is scarcely
any great result which has tended to advance civiliza-
tion, to spread refinement, and to promote the social
and physcial welfare of mankind, which has not been
mainly owing to the efforts made And concentrated by
societies est.iblialied for the purpose of carrying such eh.
jecte into effect. This principle is so generally recognised
in the present day that is has come to be a predominant !
feature in our social system. It is this which gives
stability and effect to the various branches of study in
which men Are engaged. funning as it does • nucleus—a
point to wl icl, they bring their experience and the
result of their investigations to bear, and thus, by
eparison, to contribute to the elucidation of truth.
lint alit gh so much pructical good has rexulteil from
the ("natation of societies for the advancer'', nt of
, rations studies, it appears an anomaly that ime of the
most important of all sciences, namely, that of set,
culture, (upon which so many others depend, which is
the foundation of nommen, and the ',nu-enter ol arts
of civilization), should have, until& comparati:ely redllll
period. struggle on unaided, and without that systemati
co-mem:ion which has given YO great a stimulus to
every ether.

Ti-
re establishment of" the Bath Agricultural Society'
—flaw changed to that of "the Bath and West of
England Agricultural Society"—wee, perhaps, the first
step taken in that direction in this conntry. It was
milled into existence. we are told, in 1777, by • Mr.
Edward Rack, a gentlemen who was far in advance of
the times in which he lived, and who was its fleet
secretary ; and under the presidencies of the Earl of
Ilehester, the Earl of Ailesbury, end the celebrated
Duke of Bedford, more especially, the society increased
in influence and importance. After the Duke of
Bedford. who was snatched away by death in 1902, in
the ill career of Ilk usefulness, the Society was
presided over successively by Sir Benjamin llobhouse
and the Marquis of Linslowne ; but admist the
establishment of other societies of a kindred character
it lost much of its former high prestige, and was vowing
"small by degrees and beautifully less," when the
happy idea occurred to extend its sphere of action, and
reconstruct it somewhat after the model of the Royal
Agricultural Society ; and Owl, by widening ita basis,
to increase its influence and importance.
The idea of thin important step originated, we believe,
about ten years since with Thomas Dice Ackland, Esq.,
and the first meeting under the new regime took place
at Taunton in 1952. Since then its annual meetings
have been held at Plymouth in 1.1.511; Bath. 1854. Thee-
ton.lgss; Yeovil, ; Newton Abbott, 1857; Cardiff,
1•58 ; and Barnstaple, 11459. The publication of its
transactions and numerous prise esatys have done much
in promoting Agrciultural improvement; and number-
ing as it does, at the present time, upwards of 1,300
governors, life members, .
and annual subsenbers, !las
become one of the most important and flourishing
agricultural societies in the whole kingdom, and bids
fair et the eresent time, to take the lead oven of the
Royal Agricultural Society.
That the Bath and West of England Society should,
in so short a period of time, have minmanded KO larr
an amount of success, need not for • moment excite our
surprise, when we remember that the benefite which
have resulted. RIM which will continue to result from
Vila old kindred societies, are of a two-fold nature—to
the public in general and to the agriculturiats; in particu-
lar. The funilainental principle of the society is to in-
crease the productive powers of the soil, to lessen the
coat of production by the use of more efficient imple-
ments, and a better eystens of cultivation; and to encou-
rage the impresement of stock loth in breeding and
feeding. As the wealth of a country depends so largely
I OD its produce, it follows that everyclass in the commu-
nity is benefited, in a greater or less degree, by this im-
proved state of things, and as such deserve* the support
and encouragement of all classes as far as their several
circumstance. will allow. But we cannot now stay to
dwell on these pointa. Our object is not at present to
write en essay on the benefits of agricultural societiea,
hut to retort the proceedings of the Bath Mid Wept of
Eigland society of the present year. At the meeting at
Barnstaple last year, it was resolved to hold the next
annual meeting of the society at Dorchester, and for mar-
rying the object into effect, &local committee was form 41
for the purpose of raising the necessary funds, and f
making other important and necessary arrangements.
At Taunton the local contributions amounted to £2lO, st
Plyniouth to £450. at Bath. £450, at Tiverton, CVO, at
Yeovil, £450, at Newton Abbot, £7OO, at Cardiff, 11400,
and at IlarniSaple to £lOO, while at Decameter, accord-
ing to the advertised list of last week, we perceive
upwards of £1,500 have been raised for all purposes.
, This large amount, we think, augurs well teethe great
' interest the inhabitants of this district have taken in the
exhibition of 18110, and shows not oily that these large
annual exhibitions are growing in favour, but that the
people generally are alive to the great importance
attached to improved agriculture.