The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1864-10-11 00:00:00

BATH AND WEST OF ENGLAND
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

The usual monthly meeting of Council was held at
Taunton on the lstpust. Present : the Right Hon Lord
Taunton in the chair, Air J. T. B. Duckworth, hart.,
Rev. T. Phi Upon., Colonel Luttrell, Drs. Gillett cad
Scott. lle.sra. D. Adair, R. Badeook, J. Bate% C.
and R. H. Haab, T. Danger, J T. Davy, J. Dan, T.
Dockhsm, M. Fasrant, C. Gordon. J. Gould, John and
Jonathan Gray, Hancock, J. R. Knollya, H. P. Jones,
J. P Pitts, G. 8. Poole, Z U. Vidal, J. W. Walrond,
and H. Witham'.
TRZ 90ILIII AND THE HOPIITON Lace Plugs—Mr.
H. Williams brought up a further report on this sub-
jects, vesting, limo,* other thingy, that 'he Amigo for a
lam dram for Her Majesty having been forwarded to
the Hon. Kn. Brute by Mr. U. It. H. D.w, the
hon. secretary of the Arts Department, the folloiriog
gracious reply has since been r!neiircd by him

"Osborne, Aug 19th.
"Mrs. Braes present, her compliments to Mr. Dew.
She hes roc teed his letter, and has submitted Mrs.
Marrayat's beautiful designn to the Queen, and has
marked the filling which her Majesty prefer.. The
Queen iv much pleseed with the taste and skill exhibited
in the drawing, and Her Majesty Wits great interest
in the sootier of the important objects on wisely en-
couraged by the Bath and West of England Society."
Mr. Williams proceeded to remark that it had been
strictly arranged with Mrs. Hayman that whatever may
have been her practice heretofore, the work for the
rut al dress shall be paid foreentirely in money, and in
reference to • correeptoodenae in the Devon-hire papers,
be took the opportunity of oorrecting an error into which
he had been inadvertently led, ni describing Mrs.
Hayman as being the only person who did not pay ia
truck, whereas in point of fact, it turned out that she .
had hitherto being in the habit of paying her workers
partly in tee, "at their own request." as she expressed
It. Mr. Williams. concluded by moving that the sum !
of LEO be placed • the disposal of the tete Committee
for the purpose of offering prises for Noe at the Here- I
ford meeting. The motion was weeded by Mr. Dew,
who took the opportunity of saying, in reference to cer-
tain correspondence in the newspapers, that be was
totally uracquainted with Mrs. Hayman, and had
nothing whatever to do with the royal order, beyond the
Interest which every member of the Council must take
in Her Majesty's gracious ace. The resolution HAS
pared by whimatioe, and the Hon. Mrs. Bruce's letts
was ordered to be entered on the minutes.
RINIONATION Or Tile DHLI-TOR.—A letter was mad
frost Mr. John Widdiemobv, resigning the office of
Director, which he liasi held sines the year 1863. The
resignation was reluctantly accepted as • matter of
necessity, in Mr. Vinidwinhe's present state of health,
and after Mr. Daw, Mr. Waldron, Sir. J. Duck worth,
and others, had expressed their convietion that the
retiring odioer wee the most valuable the Society has
I ever had, the following resolution was passed unani.
strongly :—" That, in aospting the resignation of Mr.
Widdioombe, the Council desire to express their sincere
regret at the loss of the valuable services of so able a
Director, and to offer to him and his family their warm
I sympathy on that state of health which has entipelled
his retirement from an office which he has filled foe so
many yews with such crestit to himself and advantage
to the aociety."—This reso'oWn Lord Taunton under-
took to 000vey to Mr. Widdieombe, accompanied by
some furthers observations in reply to& letter which had
been addressed io his Lordlip personally.
THZ 'annum? RZOULATIONI for the Hereford
Meeting were brought up by Mr. Knollys and ennui-
meetly speed to.
Tie. STOCK Patti Bnarr Committee,through Mr. C,
Gordon, their chairman, brought up the list of prises
proposed to be offered at the Hereford Meeting. The
committee appeared to be divided se to the beet
for commencing the breeding year for cattle ; one party
thinking aith Mr. Duoklman, editor of the Hereford
Herd book, that the date of calving should be com-
puted from the let of January in each year.
whilst the others inclined to the view of Mr. J.
T. Davy, editor of the Devon Herd book that
such an arrangement should have the effect of cutting
the breeding year in two, and no prove, in the highest
degree, inconvenient to breeders in Devon and
Somerset. After • long and interesting discussion, the
committee withdrew to re-consider toe point, and on
returning to the room announced that, after mature de-
liberation, they had thought it be.t no ethers to the
same date as hitherto, via., the 14 of June. After
some further discussion the prise list, were ordered to
be printed and circulated woo' the members of
Council, prior to the next meeting of Connell, when
certain points, not yet ripe for decision, will, doubtlea,
create very lively intend. At the meeting to-day, Mr.
Duckham forcibly urged the importance of chanyng the
date of shearing sheep, so as to assimilate the rule to
that of the Royal Society of Raglan +, and an important
memorial in favour of this, received from upwards of
30 of the leading breeders of Cotswold and Shropebire
sheep, was read, folloeed by several letters to the woe
effect, from Mr. Holland, M.P., Mr. Preece, and other
distinguished aviculturists in various parts of England.
—As the committee had purpostly left a blank for the
debt of shearing, Mx. Really, gave notice that at the
next meeting of Conned be would specially call atten-
tion to the foregoing letters and memorial, and would
move that the lit of April be substituted for the lot of
May. This view was supported by r. John Gray and
others, and in the mean time the memorial was directed
by the president to be courteously acknowledged on
behalf of the Society.
Dr. GILLITT, a. chairman of the Finance Committee,
brought up 'several accounts which had stood over for
payment till explanation. of curtain items had been
given, and as chairman of the Contracts Committee, be
also ma Is en important communication relative to the
future printing of the Society's catalogues.
MT. JONATHAN GRAY, as Steward of Horticulture,
took the souse of the meeting as to the desirability of
having an horticultural show, and other attraction. at
Hereford, as was the case last year at Bristol, and the
pinion. as unanimous that similar arrangements were
in the highest degree desirable.
New Mangum L Palk, hart., M.P for South
Devon ; Mr. T. W. 13owen, Sbrawardine Csatle,
Slue rebury.