The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-21 00:00:00

COLLTNGHAM FARMERS' CLUB.

NEWARK, TUESDAY.
The annual meeting of the Collingham Farmers'
Club was celebrated by, a ploughing match and
dinner this day, at the little village of Collingham,
near Newark. The ploughing match took place in
the morning, and, notwithstanding the unfavour-
able state of the weather, the entries were more
numerous than on previous occasions. The dinner
was held at the Railway Hotel, in the afternoon,
and was presided over by Mr. Barrow, M.P. The
. Rev. Mr. Rennan, Mr. Chowler, Capt. Haffenden,
Mr. Woolley, Mr. Millward, and a large number of
the farmers of the district were also present.
The usual loyal toasts having been given,
The CHAIRMAN proposed The Army and Navy."
Re thought the army and navy had done sufficient
in former times to fully justify their health being
drunk without anticipating anything they might
have to do in the future. He was not one of those
who had visited Cherbourg, and, consequently was
unable to give them the result of his experience
there, but he confessed he thought very little of
Cherbourg as a standing menace. He had heard
of standing menaces all his life, but he really did
not think that they ever proved a source of injury
to anybody. (Hear, hear.) In particular they
could be of very little consequence to this coun-
try so long as we could bring into the field such
run as we had hitherto done. He thought it of
great advantage to the country that it should not
be drained of its money in the shape of taxes, im-
posed either for the purpose of erecting what were
called 'standing menaces, or of providing an enor-
nuras standing army. It was much better that the
money should be fructifying in the pockets of the
people, and that the country should at all times- be
prepared to make exertions similar to those which
were made in the time of the last Russian war.
Probably, during that war more money was spent
than was necessary if there had been better ma-
nagement, but we had at all times in Great Britain
hearts and hands ready and willing to execute all the
work that might be required of them, and above all,
ready to defend their country at all times. Looking
at the skill which had been displayed in the plough-
ing field that day, he was thoroughly convinced
that it -would require no great length of time to
e7.able the agriculturists to learn the use of arms.
Considering the way in which science overtook and
rapidly altered the character of the inventions of
the age, it seemed to him that a proposal which he
had seen in a public journal the other day, not only
that our army should be furnished with the Enfield
rifle, but that there should be 500,000 or 600,000
kept in stock, was extremely absurd. Seeing that
the Enfield rifle had only been in existence about
five years, he did not think it would be wise to in-
cur a large expense in laying by a stock of arms
which might not be required for 20 years, and which
when they were wanted might be found to have
been entirely superseded by some new invention.
Nor was it desirable that we should offer that stand-
ing menace to our neighbours which would be af-
forded if we were to make extraordinary efforts for
war in time of peace. No doubt it was necessary
that we should possess a good and efficient Channel
fleet, but the same remark would apply to any ex-
travagant addition to our naval force as to the ma-
nufacture of Enfield rifles, viz., that we did not
know to what science might lead us, and how soon
the present description of vessels might not be
superseded by others. A great advantage which this
country possessed was in having at her command the
power of raising the means of warfare at a very short
notice, and of securing and in also possessing a
body of people ready at an hour's notice to take the
field in defence of their native land. (Cheers.) At the
same time, he felt that the country were under
great obligations to the army and navy for their
services in times past, and he therefore had great
pleasure in proposing their health, feeling perfectly
satisfied that they would acquit themselves with
their accustomed gallantry if they should ever
come into action again. (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN, in proposing the next toast, re-
marked that in former times it was very tender
ground to talk of legislation in connection with
agriculture, but he believed that much of the ten-
derness had now died away. There was a time when
it was thought desirable to encourage the produc-
tion of food in this country by every possible means,
and they employed legislation as one ofthose means,
but only one. He was not at all sure that the same
effect would not have been produced without the
assistance of legislation, because he believed that a
great portion of the success of the agriculturist at
that period and even during the present time was
owing to the ability and energy which the farmer
had always displayed, and which had been deve-
loped and fostered by the agricultural associations
throughout the country. (Cheers.) Those associa-
tions were formed for the purpose of rousing dor-
mant talent and exciting latent energy, and they
had unquestionably answered the purpose for whick
they were established. There could be no doubt
that the energy and talent which had been ex-
cited and applied to agriculture had caused the
farmers to suffer less from the change of our sys-
tem of legislation than otherwise might have been
the case, and there was much reason to hope that
science and skill would enable them to maintain
their position, and relieve them from any possible
danger. (Cheers.) He had observed in one of the
public journals recently a letter from a large corn-
dealer, in which he said that we were in no danger
of having much grain from America so long as corn
was under 6s. a bushel; but in another corner of the
same paper he found another mercantile man de-
claring that the agriculturists at the mouths of the
Danube anticipated sending a large supply from
that quarter. He (the chairman) believed the latter
statement was perfectly correct, and that an impor-
tation of corn was quite as likely to come from the
mouths of the Danube as from America. But, in
whatever quarter competition was likely to arise,
he trusted that the energy and talent which had
been aroused in the country would be sufficient at
all times to maintain the farmer in the prosperity
which he so well deserved. (Cheers.) With regard
to the utility of agricultural associations he believed
they must all acknowledge the benefit which the
Collingham Farmers' Club had conferred upon the
agriculture of the district. No doubt, great central
societies were necessary, and they were all indebted
to the Royal Society for the experiments which it
had made and the science which it had brought to
bear upon agriculture; but for all practical purposes
they must look to the local societies. He had there-
fore great pleasure in proposing " Prosperity to the
Collingham Farmers' Club." (Cheers.)
The toast was drunk amid great cheering, and
there were loud calls for Mr. Chowler to respond.
Mr. CHOWLER said he was delighted to see so
good an attendance at the dinner, as it convinced
him that the society was still prospering. There
were a few things connectedwith agriculture which
be thought deserved observation. In the first place
he thought the farmers were not in quite so flourish-
ing a condition as they were a year ago. That as-
sertion might probably surprise many of them, as
the harvest in that neighbourhood had this year
been particularly good ; but there was a difference
of opinion as to its productiveness. He had thought
himself that there would have been a full average
produce this year, but he had heard some doubts
expressed whether the wheat would yield as much
as in former years ; and with regard to barley,
oats, and spring corn generally he believed there was
a great deficiency. Only a few days ago he received
a circular from a leading agriculturist in Lincoln-
shire which stated that the produce ofwheat in that
district this year was one quarter of an acre less
than last year. Indeed, the farmers had already
been recommended in more than one quarter not to
sell at present, as there was a great prospect of the
wheat crop proving below an average. That was
certainly not his own opinion, but he simply gave
it as an opinion which had been expressed by others
who were likely to be well-informed upon the sub-
ject. Whether the price of money operated upon
the price of corn he was unable to say, but it was
quite certain that for the last 12 months there had
been nothing more than a consumptive demand.
There had not been that speculative demand which
generally had a tendency to raise prices. (Hear.)
Nevertheless, in spite of these drawbacks, he was
happy to say that the labourers, as a body, were
well employed, and generally speaking at fair
wages. They were certainly not working for less
than 2s. a-clay. (Hear.) He had heard it remarked
a year ago that the farmers of England had always
been in the habit of treating their labourers as
mere machines. Now, he did not think that they
were open to such a reflection. On the contrary,
the Poor Law returns for last year showed that
though prices had been low, therehad been a steady
decrease of poor rates throughout the agricultural
districts, and a fearful increase in some of the manu-
facturing districts. (Hear.) Had the farmerstreatcd
their men as machines they would certainly have
followed the example of the manufacturers and
stopped the machinery, leaving their workmen to
obtain relief from the parochial funds. Such, how-
ever, had not been the case, and he hoped it never
would. The nature of agriculture was such that
the operations not only of the field, but of the stack-
yard must go regularly on, and the moment they
got in one crop they were obliged to prepare for
another. Not only had the position of the agricul-
tural labourers been advanced of late years, but
their habits had also become improved. Their habi-
tations had been rendered more comfortable, and the
people themselves were more cleanly and their fur-
niture and clothing much better. If any person
would contrast the state of the agricultural
labourers now with what it was 20 years ago, he
would see that there had been a remarkable im-
provement, and it would become manifest that, in-
stead of having been used simply as machines, they
had been looked upon as fellow-creatures. . The