The Society has already directed its attention to nearly all the objects above mentioned. The country meetings of the Society, which take place annually in July, have perhaps been more serviceable in sti mulating agricultural improvement than any other of the Society's operations, by concentrating the attention of the Society upon each part of the country in succes sion, and by exciting the attention of each district to the objects which the Society is intended to promote. England and Wales are divided into nine great districts, and a place of meeting in each is fixed upon about a year beforehand. In 1839, the first meeting was held at Oxford; and others have been succes sively held at Cambridge, Liverpool, Bristol, and Derby. The meeting for 1844 was held at Southampton ; that for 1845 at Shrewsbury ; in 1846, in some town in the Northern District; and in 1847 the circuit was completed by the meeting being held in the South Wales district. The value of the prizes distributed in 1839, at Oxford, amounted to 790/. ; and at the Southampton meeting, to 1844, their value will exceed 1400/. The show of agricultural implements at Derby comprised 700 different articles, and the aggregate value of implements, seeardiug to the selling price of each, declared by the makers, was about 74001. There can be no doubt that the mechanics of agriculture have made great progress since the establishment of the Society. The opportunity of contrasting and esti mating the utility of various implements used for similar purposes in different districts or in different soils, cannot fail to extend improvement from one district to another. It has been said that even down to the present time the north and west of England have little more acquaintance with the practices of each other than two distinct nations might be supposed to possess ; and one of the principal results effected by such institutions as the Royal Agricultural Society is to introduce the best practices of husbandry from the dis tricts where agriculture is in its most improved state into those where it is most backward. Attached to the Society's house there is a reading-room. and a li brary, to which has recently been added by purchase the books forming the library of the late Board of Agriculture. As a means of diffusing information on agri cultural subjects, the publication of the Journal' of the Society was commenced in April, 1839, and it has at present a cir culation of nearly 10,000. The pnize essays and all other communications in tended for publication in the Journal' are referred to the Journal Committee, who decide upon the arrangements of the work. The ' Journal,' contains be sides very valuable contributions of a practical as well as scientific character. Prizes have already been awarded for essays on the agriculture of Norfolk, Essex, and Wiltshire; and the agriculture of Notts, Cornwall, and Kent, will be the subject of essays to be sent in by March, 1845.
The success of the Royal Agricultural Society has revived the spirit of exist ing associations, or led to the forma tion of new ones. Perhaps in no depart ment of industry or science does there exist so general a spirit of improvement at the present time as in the kindred branches of agriculture and horticulture. Some of the provincial agricultural so cieties are on a scale which a few years ago could scarcely have been anticipated of a central and metropolitan society.
The Yorkshire Agricultural Society holds its annual show in the different towns of that county in rotation, a plan which is very successful in rendering them attrac tive. Farmers' clubs have also recently become more numerous. They are emi nently practical ; but the local results which they collect and discuss may be come applicable to other parts of the country placed under similar circum stances of aspect, soil, and situation. It would stimulate the exertions of these clubs, if a department of the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society' were re served for some of the best papers read at their meetings. The annual report of every farmers' club should be transmitted to the secretary of the Royal Agricultural Society ; and the title at least of all papers read at the meetings during the year should be given in the Journal.' The agriculture of Scotland has been largely indebted to the societies which have been established at different periods for its improvement. A Society of Im
provers in the Knowledge of Agriculture m Scotland' was established in 17•3, and some of its Transactions were published. Th8 society becoming extinct was suc ceeded by another in 1755 ; and the society which now stands in the same relation to Scotland as the Royal Agricultural So ciety to England was established in 1784. It is entitled the Highland and Agri cultural Society of Scotland.' The con stitution and proceedings of the society are as nearly as possible similar to the English society. The society publishes quarterly a very excellent Journal of its Transactions, which has at present a cir culation of 2300. The Agricultural Mu- 1 seam at Edinburgh was assisted in 1844 by a parliamentary grant of 50001.
In 1840 the Royal Agricultural Im provement Society of Ireland' was es tablished on the plan of the Royal Agri cultural Society of England ; and in May, 1844, the number of subscribers was 581. The society already possesses funded pro perty to the amount of 4859/. Since its establishment great progress has been made in the formation of local societies in communication with the central society, which is the best means of ensuring the support and co-operation of the agrieW tural class in every part of the country. In 1841 there were only twenty-three of these bodies in existence, and at the half yearly meeting in May, 1844, it was stated that the number was not less than one hundred. A very judicious arrange ment has been made relative to the piizes distributed at the local meetings, which are now given for operations in husban dry only, the premiums for stock being furnished by the local association. The society is establishing an agricultura museum in Dublin for the reception of implements of husbandry, seeds, grasses, &c. ; it circulates practical information connected with husbandry by means of cheap publications ; and one of its objects is the organization of an agricultural college.
In England there are no institutions of a public nature which combine scientific with practical instruction in agriculture. The advantage of establishing such an institution was suggested by the poet Cowley ; and in 1799 Marshall published ' Proposals for a Royal Institute or Col lege of Agriculture and other branches of Rural Economy.' There is the Sibthorpian Professorship of Rural Economy in the University of Oxford ; at the University of Edinburgh, a Professorship of agri culture ; and at the University of Aber deeu there are lectures on agriculture. The botanical, geological, and chemical professorships and lectures in the dif ferent universities are, to a certain extent, auxiliary to the science of agriculture. In the absence of such establishments as the one at Grignon, in France, young men are sent as pupils to farmers in the counties where the best system of agri culture is practised, especially Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Northumberland, and the Lothians ; but although this may be a good plan for obtaining practical know ledge, it is imperfect as regards the know ledge gained of the scientific principles of agriculture. The Earl of Ducie has established a model or example farm on his estate in Gloucestershire, where the scientific principles of agriculture are carried into operation ; but this is very different from an institution which im parts a knowledge of these principles. In 1839 the late B. F. Duppa, Esq., published a short pamphlet entitled ' Agricultural Colleges, or Schools for the Sons of Farmers.' which contains many useful suggestions for the establishment of such institutions. He laboured indefatigably in the promotion of this object, and pro bably would have succeeded but for his premature death. It is not improbable, indeed, that before long an agricultural college will be established in England, with an example-farm attached to it, as the Cirencester Farmers' Club, under the auspices of several noblemen and the principal landowners of the district, have Issued proposals for such an institution ; and in May, 1844, the club announced by advertisement their intention to apply for a charter of incorporation ; and also ad vertised for tenders of farms of from 300 to 600 acres.