The Sun.
London, England, 1833-12-13 00:00:00

AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATIONS.

(From the Sherborne Journal of Thursday.)
Nothing can give us greater satisfaction than being
enabled to further the interest of any useful institutions
through the medium of the Sherborne Journal ; and
having noticed, within the Isst two years, the extension of
Agricultural Associations, we have neither spared exertion
nor expense in giving the utmost accurate information of
their proceedings, for which purpose our reporters have
attended the various meeting•, and a portion of their ob-
servations, on these subjects, are given in our present
week's number. We stated, some short time since, that the
farmers would do well to inform themselves upon those great
political questions which more immediately aff,ct their par-
ticular interest : the Corn Laws we should deem, perhaps,
the most important amongst them ; and the -Poor Laws
equally pressing, and not less intricate ; both questions
were very ably taken up in speeches that we reported last
week. Mr. Snowden, at the Taunton dinner, disputed
the policy of protecting the corn grower, by restrictive,
duties, in a spit it of liberality, and with an enlarged pa,
litical view, which could not flit to be received wiih deep
interest by his hearers ; and attain, at the Chard meetinge
on Monday week, Mr. Mules entered most elaborately
and powerfully into the question of Poor Laos, which at
once proved that he had bestowed on this important subject
the attention of a powerful mind and judicious observation.
It would be needless for lig, on the present occasion, to
adduce fresh arguments on these subjects ; we cannot,
indeed, do better than recommend our readers to an at-
tentive perusal of the speeches we have alluded to ; but it
is these sentiments and explanations that the Agricultural
Associations are calculated to bring forth, and if it were
for no other purpose than imparting mutual information,
meetings of this description would assume a useful and
desirable character, and would he entitled to the fullest
publicity from the provincial press. Ilut there are also
other objects to be attained. Nothing Cali he better
calculated to stimulate the breeder of cattle to w study of
his business, than the Applause with which his ee'estnio.ni
are greeted by his neighbours and friends, and by :Ansi
influential gentry, who have means, through these meet-
ings, of witnessing the progress and improvements
in the breed of cattle. We have often noticed
that the breed of horses in the West of England
is not attended to with sufficient care, and although
we live in the second hunting county in the king-
dom, how seldom do we find a perfect hunter bred ire
Dorset or Somerset. There is something certainly in the
west country horses, of all descriptions, which requires
improvement, and which, we trust, will take place under
the stimulant of these associations. This would be a
subject well worthy of public discussion, and we should
he glad to record any practical observations that essay be
delivered on it at the forthcoming meetings. The -,VonT
trade also would admit of much interesting speculation.
Of course it has been the fashion to decry the removal of
ally duty on importation, and, previous to 1826, a levy
was enforced of sd. per lb. upon foreign wool. The
duty was at length taken off, and prices of wool, like,
everything else, suffered an immense diminution. The
period of the highest prices of aericultural produce
was the interregnum between 1813 and 1819; the
price of Wool the❑ averaged one shilling and tenpenee per
lb. with the restrictive duties enforced. Let us now
inquire the price since the free import system has had a
full and fair trial, and we find the price of our own
produce nearly producing one shilling and tenpence
with the restrictive duties removed. We mention this
incident as an argument certainly tending against the Corn
Laws. We fully admit that the question should not be
decided hastily ; it ought to he weighed with the utmost
caution, and discussed to the fullest extent ; and we shall
be truly happy to find the farmers as anxious ❑pon the
subject as ourselves. In viewing the question of a free
corn trade, we must plice it in juxtaposition with re-
duced rents. It would he folly to suppose that the farmer must
be left unprotected, and, at the same time, unprovided for.
The question to be settled is—how shall the farmer's con-
dition be improved, and his profits increased, and not les-
sened ? It would appear from our reasoning on the price
of Wool, that free trade does not tend to lessen prices,
True, the system must have some time to work, and, irs
time, probably, it will right itself ; and here we take it is
ihe great difficulty which is to be contended with. The
landlord, to be sure, may reduce his rents at once ; but
this would be a very difficult matter, unless by legislative
measures, the great expenses of the necessaries in commors
life should he reduced, which we hope to see speedily
brought about, when, we think, the Corn Law question
will be argued with a view to its final settlement mots
fairly than at present.