The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-01-01 00:00:00

THE FUTURE OF FARTING.

In order to promote sound agriculture among
tenantry Lord Egerton of Tatton, president of the
Royal Agricultural Society of England has distributed
nine .£5 prizes for the greatest improvements wrought
on farms of heavy and light soils, for the best culti-
vated farm, for the farm having the neatest hedges
and ditches, and for the beat crops of wheat, turnips,
&c. His lordship also attended the Christmas rent
audit at Chester, and expressed his regret that the
prices of wheat were not such as could be fairly re-
munerative to the tenant farmer. The last few years,
he said, had been a time of great trial to agriculturists,
but he had endeavoured to show them, both by remis-
sions of rent and sympathy, and by treating them fairly,
that he was anxious to bear a share of their burdens.
He must remind them that it was not only in making
remi:sions in their rents, but, in the sums of mon,
that was being constantly laid out on the estate,
which showed that the landlord and tenant were em-
barked in one concern, For many years past more
than 30 per cent. of the rental had been spent on the
estate for the tenants' benefit, and at their request.
Prosperity, certainly, had not always been absent
from the British farmer, and it might come back
again; but it was difficult to see in what direction it
would come from. He was certain that one of the
best things agriculturists could do was to breed the
best animals they could, whether horses, cattle, or
sheep, and not failing pigs, and he had endeavoured
to assist in this direction. Referring to the question
of tithes, his lordship said they would be aware that
the agitation in Wales and in some parts of England
had not been so much an outcry against bad times as
an endeavour to prejudice the Church of England.
In the south, and some other parts of England, tithes
were much more burdensome and difficult to deal
with. Here the tithe 4 were much lower than in those
parts where much wheat was grown. As far as his
estate was concerned he found himself in the
position of having tenants, some of whom_ paid
tithes directly and some not. It was quite clear in
these days that the landlord was the person who
ought to pay the tithe, as it was the first charge on
the laind. He had, therefore, by adding am tithe in
the rant in the townships where it had hitherto been
paid by the tenants, put all of them on an equal
footing, arid henceforth would take the responsibility
of paying the tithe, and the land would be left tithe
free. (Cheers.) If there should be any changes
brought about in the future to the advantage of the
tithe-payer, he should be prepared to give his tenants
the benefit of them, as he had no wish to make money
out of them. If, however, the times remained as
bad as they were now, he would be quite prepared tc
deal with any individual cases, and he trusted they
would still be able to pull together harmoniously and
clrdially, as the owners of that estate had always
done with their tenants, and that they would be able
to tide over the bad times. His lordship concluded
his speech by wishing them all a more prosperous
new year.