The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-20 00:00:00

LORI) PALMERS7ON Al ROMSEY.

ROMSEY, THURSDAY.
The annual dinner of the Agricultural Society
took place this afternoon at the White Horst,
Hotel. Viscount Palmerston presided. Amongst the
guests were Sir H. Jervoise, M.P., the Hou. Mr.
Dutton, M.P., Mr. C. J. Taylor, Mr. C. J. Lordam
(the Mayor), the Rev. E. Berthon (the Vicar), and
e. very large number of the influential agriculturists
of the district.
Lord PALMERSTON, in proposing the first toast
said—lt is one which expresses the strongest feel-
ing in the bosom of all Englishmen—a hearty wish
for the health of the Queen. (Loud cheers.) There
never was a Sovereign, of whom it could be more
emphatically said she reigns in the hearts and affec-
tions of the people—and that attachment which has
long warmed the breast of every Englishman has
been, I may say increased, and in some degree sof-
tened, by deep sympathy with that heavy affliction
which her Majesty has had to undergo, and which
she has borne with a fortitude and reJignatiorr ex-
emplary to all her subjects.

The toast was received with the greatest enthu
siasm.

The Noble Lord again rose and said,—l now beg
to propose the health of his Royal Highness the
Prince of Wales, and the rest of the Royal family..
(Cheers.) His Royal Highness has seen perhaps as
much of the world, and more of the world, than
almost any man of his age, and wherever he has
been, he has won golden opinions, and conciliated
the affection and respect of all with whom he has
come in contact. (Cheers.) He is now about to de
that which seldom falls to the lot of a Royal Prince,
namely, to make a love marriage. (Much cheering.)
He has every prospect of all the happiness which,
can attend the marriage state, for he is about too
marry a Princess distinguished by all those quali—
ties which adorn either a Princess or a person of
any other rank. There is every prospect of happi-

ness for him, and every prospect of that welfare
which naturally belongs to a country where there
is a successor to the Crown fitted to conciliate the
affection and commend the esteem of a people.
(Great cheering, and " One cheer more for the
Princess.")
His Lordship next said—The toast which I have
now to propose is " The Army, Navy, and Volun-
teers." We are happily at peace. Long may we
so continue! (Cheers.) It is an old saying—but;
all old sayings are not invariably true—that in.
peace men turn their spears into ploughshares..
Now I think that in order to enable the ploughshare
to pursue its avocation with success and safety it is

well that there should be the sword in its neigh--

bourhood. (Hear.) We fortunately have iron
enough in this country both for swords and plough-
shares, and we have also hands sufficient to wield
both, and I trust that both will be wielded when
occasion requires with equal skill and success. (Loud
cheers.) It is satisfactory to know that our army
and our navy are in a state of the most com-
plete efficiency. I may say that they never were
more efficient as far as organisation and disci-
pline and instruction are concerned. (Cheers.)
With regard to the volunteers I need say no-
thing, because they happily are Eo numerous
and so scattered all over the island that every
man must know from his own experience what pro-
ficiency they have made in discipline, in the use of
arms, and in military evolutions; and I trust the
Romsey volunteers are not behind-hand with their
comrades in any part of the country. (Cheers.)

The toast was responded to by Captain ALLsor,
of the Volunteers.

The NOBLE LORD, having proposed " The Bishop
and Clergy of the Diocese," said—l will now pro-
pose " The health of the two gentlemen by whom
yeti are so efficiently represented in Parliament,"
and they are also entitled to your consideration
from the fact that they are themselves practical
farmers. There was a time when the agricultural
interest felt a peculiar anxiety with respect to its
representatives in Parliament. There was a titne,
when they apprehended, groundlessly, in truth, but
sincerely, nevertheless, that measures were in con •
templation which would ruin the agricultural in-
terest by throwing open the trade in foreign corn.
Those days have passed away. These alarms have
vanished. The cultivators of the soil have found
that that freedom of commerce to which they looked
with dismay has only stimulated them to greater
exertion ; and, therefore, whatever may be the:
merits of your present members, and however com-
petent they may be to fight your battles under pre-
sent circumstances, their labours in defending what
is conceived to be the agricultural interest are
lighter than they would have been at former periods
(Hear.) So much the better for them. Their
labours are less, and, thefefore, they will be better
able to perform them.
The toast was drunk with the usual honours.

After the toasts of " The Mayor and Corporation
of Romsey," and " The healths of the bucei:Beid
and unsuccessful candidates,"

Lord PALMERSTON said—l am now about to give
a toast which I might be somewhat diffident in pre-
posing, because I have some interest in it, and that
is "Prosperity to Romsey Market?' (Cheers.) It
is very gratifying to those who went over the
ground to-day to see the improvement which has
taken place in the show. (Hear, hear.) Bei we
must not conceal from ourselves the criticisms that
are made by others, and I am afraid it is too
true that Hampshire farming does not stand so
high in general estimation as the farming i,
some other counties of England. It, has, however

limproved, and will, I trust, go on improving.
(Cheers.) It is not for me to pretend to talk about
farming to practical farmers like those who are
are present,
and who understand these matters much
better than I can do; but there are things which
strike even the most ignorant, and when a man
walks over a field of turnips and sees it full of char-
lock he must say there is room for some improve-
ment. (Cheers and a laugh.) With regard to the
charlock, I was glad to see the turnip fields looking
greener than usual, with less of that picturesque
yellow than we have seen in former years. (Laugh-
ter.) lam afraid the botanist might have revelled
in the excess of "couch," but we are told that the
wetness of the season may in some degree account
for that. But there is no doubt respecting one
fundamental principle of farming, and that is to
keep the land clear, because weeds cannot grow
without nourishment, and the nourishment of which
the weeds rob the soil is the nourishment which
ought to go to the plant which it is the interest and
profit of the farmer to cultivate. (Hear, hear.) We
have seen a statement made, and I have seen an
example of it, that a gentleman at Brighton has
made a wonderful improvement in the growth of
wheat. By carefully selecting his seed, and by
dibbling those seeds so as to give room for each
plant to grow, he produces wheat ears infinitely
larger than those of the common plant, and the
stalk is considerably stronger. I saw not long ago
in Derbyshire a field of wheat which was so grown,
and I was astonished at the produce which it
yielded. (Hear.) These are things which every-
body would naturally turn their attention to, and
the more the farmers bend their minds to improve-
ments the better it will be for them. Competition
and rivalship always set people awake. Monopoly

then proposed the health of
always goes to sleep.
Mr. DUTTON, ALP.,
the Chairman, to which his lordship briefly re-
turned thanks.
After several other toasts of a local character had
been given, his lordship retired amidst loud cheers,
and the party separated.