The Sun.
London, England, 1848-07-14 00:00:00

ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SO-
CIETY OF ENGLAND.
YORK, JULY 13.—Yesterday, shortly after his arrival,
Prince Albert visited the cattle-yard, the judges having
previously made their award of prizes. His Royal High-
ness was accompanied by the Prcsident of the Society,
the Earl of Yarborough, and other distinguished per-
sons. At four o'clock Professor Simonds, of the Royal
Veterinary College, London, delivered a very interesting
lecture on the subject of calving and lambing. The De
Grey Rooms, where the lecture took place, were crowded
on th e occasion with an attentive auditory, and the prac-
tical information communicated by the Professor, who
explained his views by a reference to coloured illustra-
tions on a large scale, was listened to by the farmers
present with marked attention.
At six o'clock the Council dinner took place in the
Guildhall, which was entirely filled by the company.
Upwards of three hundred noblemen and gentlemen
sat down to dinner, which was supplied by the land-
lord of the Black Swan. Owing to the announcement
that his Royal Highness Prince Albert would honour
the Council with his presence, the applications for
tickets were unusually numerous, and the excitement and
crushing to get admission to the hall and secure a good
seat were quite at variance with the decorum which ge-
nerally prevails at public dinners, and the deliberation
which, from its name, might have been expected at this.

Prince Albert sat on the right of the President.
Among the company were, the E trl of Chichester
(President elect of the society). the High Sheriff of
Yorkshire, the Belgian Minister, the Marquis of Aber-
corn, Lord Morpeth, 'the Chevalier Bunsen (Prussian
Minister), the Hon. E. Bancroft (American Minister),
Earl Fortescue, the Duke. of Richmond, the Earl of
Lonsdale, Lord Ingestre, Lord G. Beresford, Lord
Beaumont, Lord Zetland, Sir J. B. V. Johnstone, M.P,
Sir C. Anderson, Sir J. Boileau, the Hon. A. Dun-
combe, M.P., the Hon. and Rev. A. Duncombe, the
Hon. 0. Duncombe, M.P., the lion. Colonel Phipps,
the Hon. Captain Seymer, the Hon. G. Anson, the
Hon. Mr. Clive, M.P.; Baron de Langen, Captain Har-
court, Mr. Pusey, M.P.; Mr. Hudson, M.P.; Mr. G.
Stephenson, M.P.; Mr. Alderman Thompson, M.P.;
Mr. Shelley, Colonel Chaloner, Mr. Hildyard, M.P.; the
Rev. Canon Johnstone, Mr. Milnes, M.P.; Mr. Milner,
M.P.; Mr. Stansfield, M.P., &c.
A military band occupied the gallery of the hall, and
during the progress of dinner kept up a perfect storm of
music, which distracted the company below, and added
to the confusion into which country waiters on such
occasions are sure to fall. The dinner having been at
last brought to a close.
The PRESIDENT rose and said—lt is customary to
propose two toasts only at the Council dinners of the
Royal Agricultural Society, and I am sure that you will
not be at a loss to guess what the first of those toasts
will be.—(Cheers.) We shall, lam sure, drink with
the same cordiality that the farmers of England have
always done, the health of her Majesty the Queen.—
(Cheers.) I beg now to propose to you " The Queen,
God bless hers"

The toast was most enthusiastically drunk, and amidst
loud and continued cheering.
The PRESIDENT then rose and said—Gentlemen, the
next toast which it is customary to drink at the Council
dinner of the Royal Agricultural Society is the "health
of the Queen Dowager, his Royal Highness Prince
Albert, Albert, Prince of Wales, the Duks of Cam-
bridge, and the rest of the Royal Family."—(Cheers.)
We have always been accustomed to drink this health,
because we had the honour of numbering among our
members at the first foundation of the society his Royal
Highness the Duke of Cambridge, and since that time,
and immediately after we obtained our charter, it
pleased his Royal Highness Prince Albert to join us and
become one of our governors.—(Cheers.) I am sure
that I say no more than every one in this room feels
when I assure his Royal Highness that we are honoured
and gratified by his having come among us.—(Cheers.)
I may remind some who have arrived here to-day,
that his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge also
came to inspect the show, but his engagements did not
allow him to attend the Council dinner. We feel
proud that his Royal Highness Prince Albert has at-
tended the Council dinner, and I can assure him that we
feel highly gratified that we can consider him one of the
governors of our society. Independently of the feeling
of attachment which the farmers of England have for the
Royal family, I can assure his Royal Highness that we
are glad to observe that he freely mixes with that body
at their annual agricultural meeting.—(Cheers.) I beg
leave to propose to you " The health of the Queen
Dowager, his Royal Highness Prince Albert, Albert,
Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, and the rest
of the Royal Family."
The toast having been drunk with all the honours,
His Royal Highness Prince ALBERT, who was re-
ceived with loud cheering from all parts of the hall, rose
and said—Gentlemen, you must allow me to express to
you my very sincere thanks for the great kindness with
which you have received the toast which has been pro-
posed to you. I think I should be acting contrary to
the rules of the society if I were to detain you by a long
speech. I beg, therefore, merely to express to you how
grateful I feel, how gratified I am, for the kindness
which you have shown me.—(Loud cheers.)
The PRESIDENT then said that it was not the inten-

go; nor the wish of the Council that these meetings
should be held merely for convivial purposes, but with a
♦iew to gain practical information, and as they had
heard a lecture in the afternoon upon calving and lamb-

ing, it had been thought right to continue the question
by inquiring into the best way of rearing cattle from
the time they were dropped till they were a year old.
But, as all farmers that were huntsmen knew that to
have sport they must find a fox, they would allow him
to draw cover for them by calling on Mr. Thompson to
begin the discussion.
Mr. Thompson, Sir T. Syke?, Mr. Turner, of Exeter;
Mr. Shaw, of Northampton ; Mr. Barnet, Mr. Mechi,
and others, addressed the company on the subject
pointed out by the President. There seemed to exist
considerable difference of opinion among them as to the
best mode of calf rearing. Some advocated high feed-
ing with an early weaning; others, early weaning, an
attention to cleanliness, and exercise out of doors in
fine weather ; while some recommended an adherence,
as nearly as possible, to the laws of nature, and dwelt
upon the analogies of child-rearing. Mr. Turner's and
Mr. Mechi's observations seemed to be most favourably
received. The speakers had to compress their observa-
tions within fifteen minutes.

The PRESIDENT, at the close of the discussion, said
that after what they had heard about the different modes
of rearing calves, perhaps it would be agreeable to the
members to know the result of the exertions of those
who had been feeding forjhe show of the Agricultural
Society. The director of the show-yard had just come
in with the list of prizes, which would now be read
aloud to them :