The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-05-13 00:00:00

DORSET COUNTY EXPRESS

DORCHESTER, TUESDAY, MAY 13, 1862.

DORCHESTER FARMERS' CLUB.

Few will dispute the maxim of the King of
, Brobdignag, quoted by Mr. Damen at the dinner
I of the Dorchester Farmers' Club last week, that
whoever makes two years of corn, or two blades
of grass, grow upon a spot of ground where
only one grew before, is a benefactor to his
country. The farmer has, indeed, a great
mission to fulfil ; and if, for a time, be did not
rise to the height of his profession, a change has
at length come over the spirit in which he fulfils
it, and the production of our land has been
multiplied a hundred fold since the days of royal
Farmer George. When Arthur Young
commenced his memorable journeys through the
counties of England, and examined into their
agricultural condition, the land, even in the best
cultivated districts, was very poor, the roads
were little better than ditches, hardly passable
in summer, and quite impassable in winter or
after heavy rains • hence farmers were restricted
in the disposal of their produce and in commu-
cation with their neighbours. As late as 1835,
the farmers at Tainworth, to whom he presented
a couple of patent iron plough; refused to use
them, because "they were silo' one mind that
the iron made weeds to grow," and so stuck to
the primitive wooden implement. The roast
beef of Old England, about which we sing with
so much gusto, must at the time when the ox
was principally kept as a beast of draught, the
cow looked to chiefly for milk and calves, and
the sheep regarded more for its wool and tallow
than for its flesh—have been something very
different from the noble sirloins of the present
years of grace. Vast as have been the strides
made within the last hundred years in all
branches of social progress, there is scarcely any-
thing in which the advance has been more prodi-
gious than in agriculture. If it were possible to
put the first Christmas cattle-show which was
held in a stable yard off Smithfield Market, in
1789, by the side of the last show in the Baker-
street Bazaar, everybody would be astonished at
the immense difference between the farmers, and
the farm-stock of the two periods. Bacon is
said to have made a collection of works on
agriculture, and after perusing them to have
burped them in disgust, declaring they were
worthless, because they contained no principles.
How different is the case in the present day,
when agriculture is almost entitled to a place
among the learned professions! How different
is the journal of Jethro Tull to the present
Journal of the Dorchester Farmers' Club! And
how has the vast revolution been brought about?
Simply by mutual co-operation and association
—by bringing the experience of men and the
result of investigation to bear, and thus by
comparison to contribute to the elucidation of
truth. The• Agricultural Society of Ireland, estab-
lished in 1747, the Bath (now the Bath and
West of England Society) established in 1777,
the Highland Society, established in 1784, and
the Royal Agricultural Society, established in
1839—for the purpose, among other things, of
obtaining and publishing reports on every
subject connected with the improvement and
cultivation of the soil, the rearing and feeding of
stock, the management of the dairy, the useful
inventions of agricultural machinery, to promote
the comfort and welfare of the labourers, and
to encourage the improved management of their
cottages and gardens—have had the effect of
giving birth to a large number of those more
pratical societies, the farmer's clubs. At the
present time the Agricultural Societies and
Farmers' Clubs amount to nearly 1000,
and it is a no less gratifying circum-
stance, that so far from these clubs being of a
temporary and evanescent character, they are
extending themselves in every direction. One
of the latest, but by no means one of the least
important that has been established, is the Dor-
chester Farmers' Club. This we know to be
eminently practical in its character. Its great
value, as an agent for improving the mind agri-
cultural, consists in- its open discussions and the
publications of its proceedings. There are often
societies of a kindred character in this and the
adjoining counties, but who ever learned any-
thing of what they said or did except from
hearsay. For aught we know to the contrary,
their members are very much like the monarch
of whom it is averred, that "He never said a
foolish thing, and never did a wise one." Not
so with the Dorchester Farmers' Club Its
discussions have been read and canvassed by
the most eminent agriculturista in all parts of
England. It deals with facts, and Englishmen,
as a nation, are fond of facts. They must and
will have them. Show them an aetual, moving
substantial thing, and they are satisfied. We
are not a people who go to war "for an idea."
We enter upon hostilities with the intention
of getting something for ourselves, or of pre-
venting somebody else from getting it. "What
II want,' quoth Mr. Thomas Gradgrind, "is
facts ;" and hard-beaded and unsympathetic as
that gentleman may have been, the vast
majority of countrymen have been, and still
are, and always will be of his way of thinking.
There is no scheme so vast and so apparently
visionary that English people will not be found
to entertain it, and to subscribe capital for
carrying it out, if a decent show of facts could
only be brought forward by the projector.
There would be an aerial machine and joint-
stook flying Hansom cab company to-morrow,
if some adventurous Icarus could only demon-
strate the practicability of navigating the balloon
from one given point to another. But the thing
has not yet been done. A balloon will go up
and come down, we know, but it has not yet
been found possible to regulate its course with
certainty; whereupon the fact-loving English
public are mainly of belief that aerial machines
are either delusions or swindles. Show us the
facts and we will believe anything. Let us taste
a morsel of the green cheese of which the moon
is said to be made, and henceforth we will pin
our faith to the caseous nature of that luminary.
We are ready for any number of marvels; we
have a stomach for any amount of phenomena
—steam guns and electric clocks, atmospheric
postage and sonorography, solidification of gases,
and chromo-photography, self-acting jack boots,
and machines for writing epic poems. We are
ready to believe in anything, even to cows with
five heads, griffin; unicorns, phosnix's, and fiery
dragons, so long as the assertion made con-
cerning them are made out by a few plain and
palpable proofs. The brief session of the
lElorcheater Farmers' Club, which has just
adjourned for the recess, has revived a signifi-
cant and perfectly incontrovertible fact—that
the malt duty is a great burden to the tillers of
the soil, and that it ought to be, and must be,
got rid of. The arguments that have been used
as showing the injustice of the tax are so
pertinent and go so directly to the point, that
they cannot fail to have carried conviction to
the mind of every one who has read them. That
the subject will cause an agitation by the agri-
culturists throughout the length and breadth of
the land, gathering in strength and importance
I till their demands have been acceded to, there
can be no doubt. Our only wonder is, that the
question should not have been taken up by some
I other society long before. And yet it had,—
suppose for example it had been mooted by the
Blandford or the Milborne Farmers' Club, we
might well ask qui bone? without publicity. The
Dorchester Farmers' Club, by admitting the
I press, and thereby giving to the world the
admirable lectures which have been delivered,
and the enlightened discussions that have taken
I place, has already attained to an eminence in
the estimation of the thinking portion of
agriculturists throughout the country, such as no
club of exclusives ever have or ever can hope to
attain. Well might one of the speakers say, at
their dinner last week when reviewing the
proceedings of the past session, that they might
well feel proud at the present position of their
club. Charity, we are told, contains a double
blessing. It blesses him that gives and him ,
that receives, and we cannot believe that the '
members of the Dorchester Farmers' Club will
feel less happy from a knowledge of the fact
that they have faithfully served their day and
generation, by benefitting their fellow men.

DORCHESTER. Drumm CORN MARKET,
Saturday, May 10.—We had a seasonably large
attendance, and some sales were effected, but prices
had a drooping tendency, and we quote wheat ONE
SHILLING LOWRR. Of spring corn the supply was
exceedingly small, and prices of barley and oats
remained unaltered.

DORCHRITER WALK.—We hare nerer seen the
cbeinut trees in the south walk in such perfection
=
sent, and we recommend the lovers of the
of antnre to hapset the splendid blossom .

Barr= MISSIONARY Romirmr. -- The annual
meeting of the above society will take place at the
Baptist Chapel, on Friday, the 16th Met. The Rev.
W. R. Rycroft, missionary from the Bahamas, and
the Rey. a Wessell, of Bath, will attend as a depu-
tation.

APPOINTMENT or Cutts. —On Monday, 12th
instant, James Robert England Curtis WAS appointed
clerk of St. Peter's Church (vacant by tho decease of
Bugle-Major Dawe). A peal from St. Peter's bells
announced the event.

FUNERAL OP THE LATE BUOLE•ILLTOR DAWL
—On Friday last the mortal remains of this esteemed
musician were consigned to their last resting-place.
Long before the hour appointed • large concourse of
people assembled near the, Townhall, and along the
whole route where the procession had to pass. The
Volunteers assembled at the Corn Exchange at half.
past 11, and about 12 o'clock, when the liolenin
knell from St. Peter's tower announced the time for
the funeral, took the places appointed for them.
The funeral cortege then proceeded to the cemetery
in the following order :
Firing party, consisting of a Serjeant, Corporal, and
twelve members, with arum reversed.
Brass Band of the D. It. V. COMA, playing the
"Dead March" in Sea/.

The Undertaker "(Ili: 17,;;;;).--ciii-Intimate Friends
of the Deceased, including the Churchwardens
of the Parish of St. P,•ter's.
Fall bearers—The Hearse—PA bearers.
Relations and Friends of the Deceased.

The Dorchester Drum and Fife Band, with instrument s
trimmed with crape.
Dr. Wallis. Messrs. George Greening and James Drake.
Members of the Rifle Volunteers in single tile,
and open order.

The Volunteers were under the command of Captain
Kindersley, Ensign Devenish, and Dr. Penton—
Lieutenant Coombs being prevented from attending
by absence from the county; and the firing party
was in charge of Sergeant Cross. The greater
part of the shops and houses in South-street
had their shutters closed as a mark of respect
to the deceased, and from one to two thou-
sand persons accompanied the procession to the
cemetery, wbere the beautiful service of the Church
VMS impressively read by the Rev. J. P. F.
Davidson, curate of All Saints', in the unavoidable
absence of the Rev. Morton Colson, rector of St.
Peter's. The silver bugle presented to the Corps by
the ladies, and so ofteasouneled by the deceased on
far more joyful weaseling, was placed on the coffin,
together with deceased's shaco and accoutrements.
At the conclusion of the service the firing party
advanced, and concluded the solemn ceremony
by firing three volleys over the grave of their de-
ceased comrade, the drummers of the Corps giving
a roll of muffled drums between each volley. The
party then returned to the WWl], the usual custom
of playing a lively tune being dispensed with; a
plan which we trust will hereafter be always
adopted, as nothing seems more unseemly than to
close the solemn service of the burial of the dead,
by such a proceeding. —Ou the following Sunday
the Rifle Corps assembled in the South Walks,
Captain Kindoraley, Ensign Devenish, and Serjeant-
Major Newman in command, and proceeded to St.
Peter's Church. About sixty members were pre.
cent, thus showing the great esteem their lamented
comrade was held by them. Divine service was
performed by the Rev. J. Curgenven the respected
rector being indisposed was prevented taking part
in the service. The rev, gentleman took for his
text the 20th verse of the third chapter of Phi.
lippians,—" Our conversation is in heaven, from
whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus
Christ." In the course of his observations he said
that the Apostle had to mourn that many walked in
his days, who by their conduct showed they were
the enemies of the Cross of Christ, and it was much
to be feared there were still vast numbers ef whom
the same must be said. He then proceeded to point
out who were the enemies of the Cross of Christ,
viz., those who minded, or whose hearts were set,
on earthly things; whose thoughts were engrossed,
to the exclusion of holy considerations, with the
vain things of this life; and he most earnestly and
faithfully entreated his hearers to ask themselves
whether they were so acting. The next point was
the character of the true Christian—his conversation
was in heaven, or, in other words, his country was
heaven, he was a citizen of heaven, be belonged to
heaven. Even while ooi earth the Christian is said
to sit in heavenly places. Through Christ we are no
longer grangers and pilgrims, but fellow-citizens
with the saints. He then noticed the stupendous
event which must come to pass before the Christian
enjoyed the full blessedness of this citizenship, —the
second coming of Christ, Those who are of this
citizenship look for, want for, hope for, gd are
earnestly longing for this coming; and one sure test
of our being true Christians was that we should thus
anxiously desire this glorious appearing of Christ.
The rev, gentleman then cited many passages both
from the Old and New Testaments, to prove that
this earnest and prayerful waiting for the coming of
Christ's kingdom was the peculiar mark or charac-
teristic of the people of God in all ages, and con-
cluded his remarks by adverting to the mournful
event which bad called so many together that
morning. He bad not, he said, (having been but a
short time in the parish,) much acquaintance with
the deceased; if their respected rector had been
able to have been present, he would have been better
qualified to speak of him. But thus much he might
say, that in both his public and private life he bad en-
deared himself to those who knew him, and by his
zealous discharge of duty had won the esteem of his
fellow-townsmen. He was for many years the clerk
of that parish, and ably assisted in the choir, per-
forming his duties in a praiseworthy manner. He
had also of late years been a member of that excel-
lent organization— the Volunteer Corps, who, as a
mark of their respect, were present with them that
day. It might be asked—Why had he chosen the
subject which had engaged their attention that
morning? It was with a view of showing that a
man might be diligent, painstaking, and earnest
in the several relations of life he was called upon to
fill, and be a true Christian; indeed, Christianity
in truth and sincerity, and not in name only, fitted
a man for any duty he was called upon in God's
providence to engage in It was a known truth that
the better the Christian, the better citizen and
suldier. At the conclusion of the service, the
"Dead March" in Said was excellently played by
the organist, and as its
.nipurnful strains swelled
through the sacred buildingthe worshippers silently
withdrew. The Volunteers then marched back to
the South-walks, and after a few remarks from their
captain, were dismissed. An excellent discourse on
this subject was also delivered by the Rev. J. P. F.
Davidson, at All Saints Church, on Sunday morning.