THE PRINCE ON FARMING

Shannon News, 25 February 1927, Page 3

THE PRINCE ON FARMING

"INTRICATE AND SCIENTIFIC."

Th Prince of Wales attended the county annual dinner of the Northampton branch of the National Farmers' Union at Northampton recently. Mr. J. H. Smeeton presided. There were nearly 300 farmers present, many of whom were personally known to the Prnce. There was an entire absence of formality about the proceedings and His Royal Highness entered thoroughly into the spirit of the occasion. In proposing the toast of "The County Farmers' Union," the Prince of Wales could not have a better end to a really good day's hunting than "to come to such a friendly gathering as this. To me, one of the best things about open air sport, whether it be hunting or games is that it makes everybody pleased to see everybody else, and it makes people feel so neighbourly. I think, if this spirit was kept going more than anything else it would make the world a pleasanter place to live in than it is now. (Cheers.) I feel that spirit is here tonight. I felt very frightened to come and make a speech, but I feel much better now." Continuing, His Royai Highnss said that hunting people came to those dinners and usually talked an awful lot about hunting, which, thanks to the farmers, they were still able to keep going. He did not, however, propose to talk about hunting, but rather about farming. "I think," he added, "the National Farmers' : Union is based upon just that feeling of good fellowship which T mentioned before, for it s keystone is a promotion among individual members of a sense of unity and co-operation without which there can be no progress in the great business of farming as a whole. Broadly speaking, it helps every farmer to realise that by making his own farm, whether it be large or small, a really first-class show, lu> is not only doing himself good but h. is also doing a good turn to His brother farmer s of the whole of this country.

"In any intricate and scientific business, which farming most certainly is, it is experience that counts —your own experience for choice, but the other chap's if you can get it and have no time to find out for yourself. If you pool your experience for the benefit of all, you cannot hip but save the farming fraternity a great deal of money, a great deal of time, and a great deal of disappointment." (Cheers.) Songs and music continued throughout the evening, and the Prince again joined in the concluding song, "The Crown of the Tear."