AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES AND THEIR DUTIES.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XIII, Issue 547, 30 January 1868, Page 2

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES AND THEIR DUTIES.

i (:\vm UieFpvaev.) j | For, some time past the proceedings at I |the anuuil shows of farming societies' ;have occupied a prominent.place in the; k-oluinns of the agricultural papers. It :is true, no d-ul/t, that in journals of general circulation it is impossible to give details with the same degree of minuteness that is required in the case <i a loc-iil piper ; but accounts of s.,c!i meetings, even when given hi the nios! condensed form, are calculated to enthe attention of all who feel invested in the asrieultmvl condition ■ ;f the country.* The re-appearance oi reports is in itself a subject for congratulation, and perhaps the value f those exhibitions was never so therougly appreciated as it w r as when cir-j ■ euin stances rendered it necessaiy toj suspend theni altogether u-c a time.; Substitutes have rarely been I'juud to: succeed, and, even when most success-1 fu!, the blank caused by the absence! of horned stock, was felt to detract i*i! no small degree from the pleasure of! [the meeting. It is to be h.'ped, there-' ifore, that when the next show season l arrives nothing will occur to prevent j the different classes being filled up as: formerly in all parts of the kingdom,! just as these have been iiHed up atj shows held this year in ScotUiud and I Ireland. j That exhibitions of stock, with thei usual accompaniments, have been pro-! ductive of much benefit to the country ' is generally allowed ; and one great j result has been the cultivation of the| public taste for a higher class ofani-i ntals, leading to that diffusion of good! StOCk throughout t' lo cniintrn u-KiM% 10 one of the characteristics of the aoriculture of the present day. We do iict wish to infer that there is not stili great room for improvement in their general management; but good stock

are new in the hands of a greater number of individuals than was the case even some twenty years ago, while better systems of management have also become more prevalent. These are important results and t.ljev can be distinctly traced to the operations and influence of our agricultural societies Nor have such results been confined to those societies which enjoy a national operation; even some of the most humhle associations have exorcised, as we have reason to know, a powerful influence for good in their limited spheres of adieu. It is for reasons of this kind that w r e wish u> see such associations encoilivtg-'i i by those who have a direct interest in their success squire and farmer, tenant and trades man. uniting to ensure their efficiency and prosperity. Landed proprietors commit a great mistake when they shew indifference to forming societies.! and in such cases their personal coun-j renance at shows and other meetings! of a social or a business nature is net; less important than their contributions j to the funds.

I Admitting to the fullest extent the! | advantages which have been derived! -from the operations of agricultural [associations, it is questionable whether! many of these bodies have effected al! (the good it is in their power to do. In | numerous instances the existence of a jfarming society is only known by its annual ploughing match and cattle show. Without wishing to detract for i moment from the utility of such matters, it appears to us that the operations of farming societies should not be entirely confined to a routine in which pl-mghiug matches and caHie shows are the sole features of interest. No doubt the spirit of competition engender.d at such meetings as tio.se we Jnr-’i! named does not end these : 'but wou'd be greatly fo-. tered. and per-1 haps bell or dmitr-ied. v.aae the uiemheisj ■of tanning ?'-■■■ •<[ ),> meet oueuerj than they u-o d y d ■, if ihr no other ' reason ! tin n F..: a. -. j ,o- h t j, over mat tors i of every-day < .-p ar.-nca. In sewva ! 1 sucietm.s this is air. a'y the rule,ami cm ; columns. o< well as u -se of .air Lre-I l ; .ren oi the ug.huhmal hearj evidence to the v-.dmldo pratii.'al j-< I fit iißUim: that i;'. .ji- ( su.rlioccis-’ as. lv.v-n;i;e iailyaud odier: political j -cr.R.:?, now thitit his been(' JioCovei. ,1 that a:rma! u: ■ mit ti.c; humdrum. unir.m -it .at affair it was at!' one lime am i :«v 1 bo, glady afford i space for reports of such discussions,i and sometimes even honor liimu iq ; making thorn the subject ot leading; arti.-k-s. ;

I V> out is already dune in some ou c es j we are di-siv. us to see the rule in all. .It may be that occasionally it would I be found difficult to get up an elaborate iscientific di-cession ; but we hold that dt is impossible for a number of i-.teili-, I gent men to meet together and :aik over the concerns of their daily life; wit bout bringing out informal ion that, will prove imrnul. Innumerable in j stances arise in the details of farm ii;anagemeut where mistakes might be! avoided sinqfy by an interchange 01. opinion on the subject by a lew prac [ ticai men. , An eminent wilier on r.griaiuura!! subjects says, with reference to the ad-, van!ages derived from attendance on meetings of such associations: —‘Alum 1 *.i scientific truth, at first ill received! or even dell.u-d, is, nevertheless, carried away, dinging iiuconsciou-dy to; |the mind, like the seed-down of certain [ he.’fdisseminating plants, and forms' jibe germ in a new district of some] [useful experiment that may prove it,’ [or prove something else equally valu ' 'able. The increase of local and na-j jtional societies has, of late, opened up. a much wider field for imp mi! improve-j |ment, comparison, and instruction;! [and though the mere rivalry of stock! [exhibit:.'Us, resulting from the premium! [system, has to a great extent overlaid,! .[hitherto, the more important subject i of cu illvcii iod, \ here is cruwiu *v■* [that this temp, my exci*.-mei-t, if it [may be so called, is giving way to a [system caEuiau,.; to promote more dill ectly tin -e branches of agricultural [science which are the more backward [only because they are less susceptible | of occular proof. A well chained and! [deeply cultivated field rot being a subject ot porUi.ule demons-iiation, obliges the admission of that s-condaiy evidence furnished by the written record of the experiment; and while it brings into existence a kind of agricultural literature very different from that

which is to be found in the essays of mere theorists and compilers, encourages that practical investigation and thoughtful discussion of principles which readers each man’s individual experience and report an involuntary contribution to the common stock of knowledge.” Such meetings, therefore, as those which we are desirous of seeing as a regular feauiuie in the management of every farming society, even the humblest and most limited in its sphere of operations, will be found invaluable in gathering together those floating items of knowledge and experience which are to be found everywhere amongst men who think about their business. Those items may appear to the possessor of them to be of trivial importance ; and, perhaps they are so whilst merely confined to bimsetf, but when jhroughr forward and fitted in to their !proper place, it will often be found ! that they supply a link in some chain ;of evidence, or throw a light on what was previously obscure. Tire effect of this would be to impart additional interest to, and enhance the value of, jthe annual competitive meetings; and there cannot be a doubt but that farm }management amongst the members in its various departments would soon bc-ar evidence to the bent fir- derived from the discussion of principles, and the accumulation of practice, facts illustrative of those principles, which such meetings as those to which our present remarks have reference would afford.

In an address delivered some years ■igo by the Professor of Agriculture in the University of Edinburgh, certain significant questions were asked—questions, we may he permitted to observe, that well deserve earnest consideration. “ Are we agriculturists,” said lie, “as a body, the right men in the right place? Have we, as a body, availed ourselves of the opportunities we possess of acquiring knowledge of our craft; and care we di -charged our duty to ourselves and to cur count!y by neglecting them?'’ Whilst there is, as we have said, matter far sen as (•.•’offieri;ion in these en.jirii i< s, we believe ttint our farming mw-offi im.s of all grades will be doing mure than they have usually done hitherto to prove that they are endeavouring to assist their members in availing taemsclves of the opportunities they may possess mr acquiring a more extended, knowledge of their craft, if the suggestions we base now offered are awed on.