The Sun.
London, England, 1839-10-14 00:00:00

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LONDON:
MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1839.

At a meeting of the Lancaster Agricultural So-
ciety held on Thursday, and reported in the Lan-
caster Guardian, Lord STANLEY made the fol-
lowing observation, which we quote as a lesson to
his chum, Sir JAMES GRAHAM. We so seldom
meet with iything to approve of in the orations of
the waspish Lord that we quote the passage for the
further pleasure of giving the meed of our appro-
bation to his remark :
" He should not now enter on the possible measures
which might become the subject of legislation, but they
had met for the common purpose of giving encouragement
to agriculture—some by precept, some by example, and
others who were qualified, like their chairman, by both ;
and those who could do nothindeither by way of precept
or example i giving them the sanction of their pre-
sence."
And he did not enter intdlegislation or politics,
but confined himself, as did the whole company, to
those agricultural questions which are the proper
business of such societies. We are glad also to
sea that the Lancaster Society encouraged discus-
sion and promoted the reading of essays for the im-
provement of the agriculturists. This is much
wanted, and such societies can scarcely be too much
multiplied. Scattered as the farmers generally are,
and mingling little in society, they are almost un-
acquainted with the wonders which have been
wrought by the hand of art, and incapable, there-
fora; of appreciating and applying modern skill to
their own occupation. At this meeting the Chair-
man, who is plaobably acquainted with the mighty
things which chemistry has done for the manufac-
turer in his immediate neighbourhood, said he
anticipated the best effects from bringing science to
bear on agriculture. He adverted to thrashing
machines, and the steam plough, which are
almost the only applications of modern mecha-
nism to the art of agriculture, though it feeds and
helps to clothe society, and occupies nearly the
whole surface of the empire. Surely this art is as
susceptible of improvement by the help of che-
mistry and mechanics as any one practised ! Wheat
itself is said, we believe correctly, to be as much an
artificial production as the thousand coloured
dahlias which now grace every garden ; and when
so =eh has been done by art, why should it now
stop short, and not advance as rapidly in agricul-
ture as in making cloth or manufacturing iron ? In
fact, we see something like the germs of improve
tnent.

An Edinburgh agricultural journal lately sug-
gested that artificial shelter should be raised for
ground on a large scale, like the wall of China, for
example, but plAnned so as to protect the land
from cold winds, not from a hostile invasion. Why
way not such a scheme with our present great me-
chanical power be easily carried into operation?
Diaining the land is continually recommended by
the best judges, and why could not that be under-
taken on a gigantic scale ? There are now thou-
sands of men scattered through the country skilful
in all the works of cutting and digging far beyond
the peasantry ~vl-so must turn their hand to every-
thing. Why could not this army of navigators, as
they are called, be directed by a combination of
landlords, to drain the land systematically, skilfully,
and extensively ?
The Lancaster Guardian says the farmers in
that neighbourhood are tenants at will,
and cannot be expected to execute such an
expensive work as draining at their own cost ; it
is therefore incumbent on the landlords to drain
their land on some extensive and cheap scheme,
like that we have hinted at, or alter the tenure of the
land so that the tenants may accomplish so useful
a .work. The plain of Lombardy is watered and
'tamed artificially from one end to the other, and
w..ll7,'Should not the English landlords, those proud,
*sliiting, and exacting men, do something similar
f,
• tot. Ul-
--r Own possessions ? Art is to be applied to
atri6fliare, noton any principle of blind imitation, but
a skilful adaptation of mechanical knowledge to
the present wants, habits, and circumstances of our
population. The men trained to make railroads
may be usefully employed in artificially draining
every part of the empire that requires it.
Here we shall, however, be met by a statement of
toe vast expense, and the uncertainty of the return.
' The Chairman at the meeting, stated that while
the crop of 1838 was barely one-half the
usual
average, the rise in price was not above 25 to 30
per cent., which did not compensate the farmer tar
his deficient crop. Now, it is quite impossible in
any political division of the earth, and hopelessly
impossible in this short fed empire, to shut out alto-
gether the produce of other countries without
causing inconceivable misery. The boldest specu•
lator in favour of p-otection for the landed inte-
rest has not ventured for the last ten years to
hint at a total prohibition of all foreign corn.
Unless we could obtain a supply from abroad, such
as that we obtained last year, when we had a har-
vest short of half the usual average, famine would
be so intense that the country would be no better
than a ship at sea out of provisions, the crew of
which casts lots who shall be devoured. It is,
-therlo,),l44e!ly impossible to exclude foreign corn
Atm the cousitry
; and foreign corn being grown at
less cost thar);‘corn in England, whenever we are

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