The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-24 00:00:00

Extra P,

`4",erances,

The annual meeting of the Witheridge (North
Devon) Agricultural Association was held on Mon-
day. At the dinner, the Right Hon. Sir S. Northcote,
M.P. (President of the Board of Trade), presided,
his colleague, Mr. T. D. Acland, M.P., being also
present.
Sir S. NORTHCOTE, in responding to the toast of
his health, said he came to Witheridge with some
doubt on his mind as to the beneficial effects of
ploughing matches—a subject upon which much
diversity of opinion existed. Having come by no
means prejudiced in their favour, what he had seen
that day convinced him that agricultural societies
were useful and valuable institutions. In the first
place, the spirit of emulation engendered among
their young men, who were, by means of the All
England prize, brought into competition with dis-
tinguished ploughmen who were able to show them
the highest specimens of the art, must do a great
deal towards promoting the special work which they
were endeavouring to forward. They had matches
of all kinds—rifle, archery, horse racing—and
surely in so useful and important a work as that of
ploughing the same principle could be brought into
play with advantage. It must be satisfactory to
them to know that they had men among them who
could hold their own against those who came from
a distance. On being shown the work of the latter
gentlemen (who were supposed to show them how
their ploughing should be done), and afterwards
work contiguous thereto of persons belonging to the
district, he (the right hon. baronet) could not but
see that, although they had no doubt something to
learn, the ploughmen of Witheridge were not by any
means behind. (Hear, hear.) The establishment of
ploughing matches had done a great deal towards
elevating the standard of that kind of work. If
they looked, therefore, at the effect of agricultural
associations on the ploughing of the ground alone
they were obviously well worth keeping up. But they
must also consider the indirect advantages of these
meetings. They caused large bodies of men in-
terested in the practical work of agriculture to
assemble—not as mere theorists—but as men who
who were fully alive to the importance of conduct..
ing their business so as to make a living out of it.
(Hear, hear.) They came together to compare ideas
one with another, to watch the operations of the
competitors, and at the same time to converse upon
subjects which had a common interest for all. Such
meetings as these, if they were conducted in a libe-
ral spirit, must be productive of great good. (Hear.)
Societies such as they sometimes found in small
places, which were formed merely for the purpose of
keeping alive local prejudices, would do harm instead
good; but where they had meetings of men who
were prepared to look boldly at their position, to
the wants which they experienced, to the difficulties
which existed, and to the means of meeting those
difficulties ; if they met to express and submit for
discussion, as Captain Davy bad, opinions; perhaps,
with which their audience might differ, these meet-
ings, he was convinced, would result in benefit to
all. (Hear, hear.) The agricultural interest of
England was now in rather a critical position —and
not only the agricultural interest, but all interests
which depended upon the employment of labour.
There was a great difficulty just now in obtaining a
sufficient supply of properly trained labourers for
nearly every branch of industry. Not very long
ago he had the good fortune to be present at a meet-
ing in Liverpool, and while there he had occasion to
see what was going on among our enterprising mer-
chants, especially those engaged in the commercial
shipping of this country ; and there he met with
the same kind of complaint as he found in the
rural districts. There was a great difficulty in
obtaining a supply of seamen of the same class
which formerly manned our commercial navy.
Superior advantages were offered in so many other
occupations, that, in spite of the high rate of wages
given, the men failed to come forward in sufficient
numbers, and those who did were not so well trained
nor so ready to do their duty as formerly. He (Sir
Stafford) was asked whether it was not pessible to
devise some measures for remedying this evil, and it I
was a question of such great national interest that
public attention would inevitably have to be given
to it. But he ventured to say to those gentlemen
who spoke to him on the subject, " You may natu-
rally deem this matter one of national importance,
and that it is desirable Government should assist in
obtaining a supply of seamen for your ships ; but
recollect, the difficulty of which you complain does
not exist in your branch of industry alone—there
are other classes who also complain of a deficiency
in the supply of labour ; and if we endeavour to
increase that supply by artificial means the agricul-
tural interest may justly complain that we are
drawing labourers away from them." (hear, hear.)
Now, he recommended that persons engaged in
every kind of business, and especially in one so im-
portant as agriculture, should frequently meet to-
gether and endeavour as far as possible by mutual
consultation to discover what. were their difficulties,
and in what way those difficulties were to be met.
They must remember that many advantages might
be offered to the labourer which might act as a
counterpoise to the inducements of higher wages in
other trades. If they took upon themselves the
duty of making his position as comfortable and ad-
vantageous as possible they would thereby find for
themselves the best mode of procuring that supply
s
which was so essentially necessary for
further-
ancetlie
efficient
of their own interests. One
undoubtedly better than two or three slovenly
and inefficient labourers ; therefore, their first aim
should be to make their situation as attractive as
possible to the best labourers, for those were
the men who went away, while the least effi-
cient remained at home. (Hear, hear.) They
could not fight against the great law of supply and
demand. If men found that by going a certain dis-
tance from home and engaging in other occupations,
they could obtain better livelihoods and more favour-
able positions in society, it was no use preaching to
them that they ought to stay where they were. It
was obviously their duty to induce labourers to re-
main at home bymaking them more comfortable and
rendering them more efficient. This opened up the
question between landlord and tenant, and was one of
the points on which meetings of that kind were ex-
tremely useful. The tenant farmers, who were endea-
vouring to maintain themselves and reap a profit out
of the cultivation of the land, should compare notes
with their landlords, and endeavour to ascertain what
were the matters in which they could best assist their
labourers. He completelyrecognised the correspond-
ing duty on the part of the landlord as compared with
the duty of the tenant. But it was of no use meeting
together to make general observations, or to complain
that they could not do their part because the landlords
did not do theirs. Practical men should makeup their
minds as to what their landlord should be called upon
to do ; because, however well disposed a landowner
might be to do everything necessary for the advan-
tage of his tenant, he was often at a loss in which
way beat to apply his money. Sometimes, having
been taken by some theory advanced in a periodical
or by a crotchetty professor, he laid out a great deal
of money, but found out, after all, that it did not
answer and that he had much better have kept the
money in his pocket. But where the landlord had in-
telligent tenants, who d show him that they were
doing their part, they
fulronnlbetter farm build-
ings, improved cottages their labourers, and as-
sistance in draining the land, who would show him
that they understood what they were about—that if
lie laid out his capital under their advice it, would
be productive of advantage in a great number of
ways—then he (Sir Stafford) believedlanill
would
always be found ready to do their duty
did not, then let them bear the responsibilit the
Ly
had no desire 'to screen them. (Cheers.) In deve-
loping a science like that of agriculture they must
bear in mind two points. It was important to study
to some extent general principles, to keep themselves

acquainted with the general march of events, and
to be informed of the condition of agriculture and
of all interests connected with it both in this and
other countries. On the other hand, it was also
necessary that they should observe the local condi-
tions under which they lived ; because a man farm-
ing an estate at Witheridge was not farming an
estate in general ; he must not treat the matter like

a professor who was dealing with agriculture as a
science. With the local knowledge supplied by a