dispute: proper animals have, year by year, been exhibited, whereas at one period no entries of nags could be obtained for the inconsiderable premiums then offered. The Honourable W. Egerton "could not see why, if they assisted in buying up the best stallions, they should not do the same with the best bulls; " but Mr. Egerton cannot see very far before or behind him, as it is a fact that the best bulls are plentiful and the best horses are scarce. The best bulls, the best rams, and the best boars are now spread throughout the country, mainly through the instrumentality of the prizes which the Society offered for such animals, long before it gave any serious attention to riding horses. Mr. Martin "protested against the Society doing anything with a view of cheapening horses, and hus reducing the profits of breeding;" but this is an argument scarcely worthy of a man sitting in such place, or if it have any weight, let the duty on corn be straightway reimposed. Does it, however, altogether follow that because we seek to establish a better system for increasing or improving the breed of horses, that this description of stock would become sensibly cheaper? On the contrary, the more our breeds of cattle and sheep have improved the greater prices have they made; there are now, day by day, such sales of herds and flocks as our fathers and grandfathers never dreamed of. Then Mr. Wakefield "beld that the Society ought not to take up a section of animals for encouragement in this way, and especially not a section which, instead of adding to the wealth of the country, as cart-horses and cattle did, only enabled a certain number of people to indulge in luxurious tastes." Not add to the wealth of the country! Why what in the world, or rather to what cther part of the world does all the money go which has been, and is still, paid by other countries for our horses? Exported articles, especially at high prices, must add to the wealth of the country from which they are shipped, as Mr. Wakefield will see when he goes a little deeper into this branch of political economy. His second plea for doing nothing resolves itself into a more

general charge against the action of the Royal Agricultural Society; even beyond the fancy for a clever hack, Southdown mutton is "a luxurious taste," Devon beef is "a luxurious taste," Alderney milk is a luxurious taste," and so are little pigs and pale ale and kidney potatoes, for we might live on cheaper and coarser fare; but it answers in many different degrees to produce all these things, and the better the quality the more it pays. SCIENCE AND PRACTICE have done a deal in this way, although possibly before Mr. Wakefield ever gave the Council the benefit of his advice. Further, Mr. Dent, generally a sound man to follow, "quite agreed in the comparison of cart-horses against thoroughbred horses, as he considered that it paid the farmer better to breed cart-horses." Admitted, but what then? Assuming that chargers and riding-horses and carriage-horses are, as Mr. Wakefield terms them, luxuries-although we scarcely come to see this-still, they must and will be produced, and off the farm, when surely it is quite within the province of an Agricultural Society to aid the breeder in this work, the more especially as such a part of the business is often very loosely conducted.

The general tone of the discussion in Hanover-square, which, as we have shown, was not worth much, arose anent Lord Calthorpe's proposal for providing stallions for districts by subscription, and placing the horses under the management of private committees. This scheme is still very crude, nor are we so sure that a private committee is to be trusted, without some very stringent rules be laid down for its guidance—a material part of the whole plan, which has not yet been broached. The committees of the several Agricultural Societies would appear to afford a better-constituted agency; but, whatever may come of the movement-not, so far, very strongly supported-it speaks again to the uses of the thoroughbred sire: a fact which the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society will do well to bear in mind, if it be desirous of maintaining its standard as a national exposition,

A TEETOTAL MEMBER There was held in the North of England not so long since a Shorthorn sale, which was under the conduct of a class auctioneer, and preceded by the now customary luncheon. For our own part, we rather hold to the opinion that the company would be in a better, or, at any rate, more independent position did they provide for themselves on these occasions, at so much a head. Here, however, the wonted liberality was exercised; the tables were adorned, as the phrase is, "with every luxury," and the visitor bid to eat, drink, and not be merry. He could eat as much as he pleased, but he could season his mid-day meal with nothing better than water, toast-andwater, soda-water, tea or coffee. Some of the party had been duly warned of the order of the day, and came armed accordingly with pocket-flasks, while one enthusiast, who would brave an appraisement of Shorthorns under any difficulties, set up his tent outside with the ready and welcome offer of a glass of champagne for his friends as they passed away from their dreary entertainment. We must again question whether the more wholesome plan would not be for a man to order what he pleased at his own expense-toast-and-water or brandy-and-water, as the more suitable to a northern climate or his own temperament. However well intended, it would be a clear breach of hospitality to invite a tetotaller to a dinner where no beverages were placed upon the table but wine and beer; and yet it is assuredly as great a want of good manners to restrict people who habitually drink

ON THE MALT-TAX.

wine and beer to pump-water and soda-water. A conver by compulsion is seldom worth much.

Sir Wilfrid Lawson is a man of expanded ideas, a Liberal in the best sense of the word, who would enforce his arguments by the aid of such allies as ability, humour, and sarcasm-all dangerous weapons in the hands of a keen combatant. And yet the honorable baronet's main line of action would seem to centre on the proposition that everybody else should think and do as he does. Willy, nilly-it must come to this: the world must not go to the Derby; the labourer must not work upon "twopenny ale," and although it may be highly commendable to his master to devote himself to the manufacture of beef, it is far more reprehensible for him to think of the conversion of barley into malt. Indeed, as a matter of sound State policy, it is a question for grave consideration whether the production of malt should be sanctioned.

There was an incidental debate on the subject the other day in the House of Commons when Sir Wilfrid Lawson moved "That in the opinion of

this House the remission of taxation to the amount of £60,000 per annum arising from the proposed alteration in the duties on brewers' licences should be met by an equivalent increase in the Malt Duties." In putting this the honorable member for Carlisle said, " he saw opposite the honorable and gallant member for Sussex, who, of course, would not like to see the Malt Duty increased. Although,

dispute: proper animals have, year by year, been exhibited, whereas at one period no entries of " 'nags could be obtained for the inconsiderable premiums then offered. The Honourable W. Egerton "could not see why, if they assisted in buying up the best stallions, they should not do the same with the best bulls;" but Mr. Egerton cannot see very far before or behind him, as it is a fact that the best bulls are plentiful and the best horses are scarce. The best bulls, the best rams, and the best boars are now spread throughout the country, mainly through the instrumentality of the prizes which the Society offered for such animals, long before it gave any serious attention to riding horses. Mr. Martin "protested against the Society doing anything with a view of cheapening horses, and hus reducing the profits of breeding;" but this is an argument scarcely worthy of a man sitting in such place, or if it have any weight, let the duty on corn be straightway reimposed. Does it, however, altogether follow that because we seek to establish a better system for increasing or improving the breed of horses, that this description of stock would become sensibly cheaper? On the contrary, the more our breeds of cattle and sheep have improved the greater prices have they made; there are now, day by day, such sales of herds and flocks as our fathers and grandfathers never dreamed of. Then Mr. Wakefield "beld that the Society ought not to take up a section of animals for encouragement in this way, and especially not a section which, instead of adding to the wealth of the country, as cart-horses and cattle did, only enabled a certain number of people to indulge in luxurious tastes." Not add to the wealth of the country! Why what in the world, or rather to what cther part of the world does all the money go which has been, and is still, paid by other countries for our horses? Exported articles, especially at high prices, must add to the wealth of the country from which they are shipped, as Mr. Wakefield will see when he goes a little deeper into this branch of political economy. His second plea for doing nothing resolves itself into a more

is

general charge against the action of the Royal Agricultural Society; even beyond the fancy for a clever hack, Southdown mutton is "a luxurious taste," Devon beef a luxurious taste," Alderney milk is a luxurious taste," and so are little pigs and pale ale and kidney potatoes, for we might live on cheaper and coarser fare; but it answers in many different degrees to produce all these things, and the better the quality the more it pays. SCIENCE AND PRACTICE have done a deal in this way, although possibly before Mr. Wakefield ever gave the Council the benefit of his advice. Further, Mr. Dent, generally a sound man to follow, "quite agreed in the comparison of cart-horses against thoroughbred horses, as he considered that it paid the farmer better to breed eart-horses." Admitted, but what then? Assuming that chargers and riding-horses and carriage-horses are, as Mr. Wakefield terms them, luxuries-although we scarcely come to see this-still, they must and will be produced, and off the farm, when surely it is quite within the province of an Agricultural Society to aid the breeder in this work, the more especially as such a part of the business is often very loosely conducted.

The general tone of the discussion in Hanover-square, which, as we have shown, was not worth much, arose anent Lord Calthorpe's proposal for providing stallions for districts by subscription, and placing the horses under the management of private committees. This scheme is still very crude, nor are we so sure that a private committee is to be trusted, without some very stringent rules be laid down for its guidance-a material part of the whole plan, which has not yet been broached. The committees of the several Agricultural Societies would appear to afford a better-constituted agency; but, whatever may come of the movement-not, so far, very strongly supported-it speaks again to the uses of the thoroughbred sire: a fact which the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society will do well to bear in mind, if it be desirous of maintaining its standard as a national exposition,

A TEETOTAL MEMBER There was held in the North of England not so long since a Shorthorn sale, which was under the conduct of a class auctioneer, and preceded by the now customary luncheon. For our own part, we rather hold to the opinion that the company would be in a better, or, at any rate, more independent position did they provide for themselves on these occasions, at so much a head. Here, however, the wonted liberality was exercised; the tables were adorned, as the phrase is, "with every luxury," and the visitor bid to eat, drink, and not be merry. He could eat as much as he pleased, but he could season his mid-day meal with nothing better than water, toast-andwater, soda-water, tea or coffee. Some of the party had been duly warned of the order of the day, and came armed accordingly with pocket-flasks, while one enthusiast, who would brave an appraisement of Shorthorns under any difficulties, set up his tent outside with the ready and welcome offer of a glass of champagne for his friends as they passed away from their dreary entertainment. We must again question whether the more wholesome plan would not be for a man to order what he pleased at his own expense-toast-and-water or brandy-and-water, as the more suitable to a northern climate or his own temperament. However well intended, it would be a clear breach of hospitality to invite a tetotaller to a dinner where no beverages were placed upon the table but wine and beer; and yet it is assuredly as great a want of good manners to restrict people who habitually drink

ON THE MALT-TAX.

wine and beer to pump-water and soda-water. A conver by compulsion is seldom worth much.

Sir Wilfrid Lawson is a man of expanded ideas, a Liberal in the best sense of the word, who would enforce his arguments by the aid of such allies as ability, humour, and sarcasm-all dangerous weapons in the hands of a keen combatant. And yet the honorable baronet's main line of action would seem to centre on the proposition that everybody else should think and do as he does. Willy, nilly-it must come to this: the world must not go to the Derby; the labourer must not work upon "twopenny ale," and although it may be highly commendable to his master to devote himself to the manufacture of beef, it is far more reprehensible for him to think of the conversion of barley into malt. Indeed, as a matter of sound State policy, it is a question for grave consideration whether the production of malt should be sanctioned.

There was an incidental debate on the subject the other day in the House of Commons when Sir Wilfrid Lawson moved That in the opinion of this House the remission of taxation to the amount of £60,000 per annum arising from the proposed alteration in the duties on brewers' licences should be met by an equivalent increase in the Malt Duties." In putting this the honorable member for Carlisle said, "he saw opposite the honorable and gallant member for Sussex, who, of course, would not like to see the Malt Duty increased. Although,

however, the honorable and gallant gentleman had great courage, he had not many troops, for last year, when the anti-Malt-Tax army went into battle, they could make but a small muster, while the honorable and gallant gentleman himself was a deserter on that occasion. (Hear, hear, and a laugh.) Indeed, he must be aware that, with the present high price of barley, an anti-Malt-Tax agitation could be made nothing of by himself or his friends. If this £60,000 was to be a present to the brewers, he did not see that they had done anything to deserve it. But it might be said, and, indeed, he perfectly believed, that the tax was paid by the consumers. In that case he wished to know why beer-drinkers should be handicapped more lightly than spirit-drinkers. In fact, they were more lightly handicapped already, in the proportion, he believed, of 20 to 80 per cent., and the proposed concession would materially increase the inequality. As the House well knew, he was no friend to drinking. Nothing, to his mind, could be more horrible than the spectacle of the Chancellor of the Exchequer coming down to the House on Budget nights and telling of the large amount of revenue drawn from that source. But what he contended was that so long as revenue was raised by taxing drink, beer ought not to be unduly favoured. Honorable members, surely, did not wish to increase its consumption !"

Now, strange as it may sound, there are, no doubt, honorable members who, on social and healthful con

siderations, would wish to increase the consumption of beer; there are political economists who would wish to increase the consumption of beer, and men of medicine and science who seek, through their practice and advice, to increase the consumption of beer. The vice of the age is the rather the consumption of spirits, while the use of tea is to many constitutions more baneful than that of malt-liquor; when either, of course, is taken in moderation. But malt, as Sir Wilfrid Lawson should know as a breeder of stock, may be profitably employed in other ways, as even the highly-bred, highly-priced Shorthorns do all the better with it than when altogether without it; in fact, its beef-making properties have always furnished a main and indisputable argument for the repeal of the duty. But Sir Wilfrid Lawson, as himself a farmer, would increase rather than repeal the Malt-tax; and in proposing to do so, he showed how little he had to fear from the repealers and their friends. He challenged even their quasi-leader as a deserter, and might, had he so chose, raked the rank and file of the party. There was little or no reply; for Colonel Barttelot must have felt but ill-at-case when taking up his old war-cry, and Sir Wilfrid Lawson ultimately withdrew his motion. But the debate, so far as it went, served to show how much the brewer's interest is cultivated and how much the farmer's interest neglected by the County Party's majority in the present House of Commons.

THE MANAGEMENT OF THE BATH The West of England show, like the Yankee skipper's craft, is getting the better of its officers-"I undertook her, but she is rather too much for me." The meetings are growing year by year, and as they increase are clearly becoming rather too much for those who undertake their management. As nothing tends more directly to the development of our agricultural resources than these exhibitions when properly conducted, it may be useful to dwell for a moment on the curious incapability displayed by the executive at Croydon. Had the Society been in the first year of its revival instead of having been for upwards of twenty years at work in this way, the arrangements could scarcely have been more inconvenient, crude, and primitive. The duties of the direction are to make the most of the material at its disposal, as unquestionably the least was made of this at Croydon. The duties of a steward should be to see that every justice is done to the exhibitor and every information conveyed to the visitor. At Croydon this condition was turned upside-down. With a beautiful range of ground available on every side, the prize-cattle of the country were huddled together in simply disgraceful little "rings," where they could be properly inspected neither by the judges nor the public; as we are inclined to think that some of the grievous errors committed could not have occurred had there been room for the animals to show themselves. The want of such accommodation under such circumstances, with the stewards knowing the strength of their entries and with the site at their command, is so monstrous, as to be utterly incomprehensible, or to prompt the question whether these officials had ever been on a show-ground before they "undertook" that at Croydon ? Again, the numbering of the stock, now generally allowed to be a great point in the proceedings, was as fast-and-loose a business as could well be imagined. Some of the beasts wore their insignia on the forehead, others in a wisp at the side of the head; and some knew no number whatThe very horses came into the one spacious ring without the now-approved breast-plate, and with their

ever.

AND WEST OF ENGLAND SOCIETY. almost illegible tickets worn away from the spectator, so that there were continual cries as to what was this and which was that? It would surely be advisable to arrange that a deputation from the Council should go forth during the summer, if only to see how they manage these matters at Taunton or Driffield.

At such meetings a West of England officer might learn further that during the time of judging it is the duty of the steward in attendance to keep the ring scrupulously clear of intruders; whereas, early on the Monday one of the horse-stewards at Croydon invited a well-known exhibitor to enter the ring while the judges were at work. We shall be bold enough to say that the one exceeded his powers in giving this invitation, and the other his discretion in accepting it. However, there the invader sat, exhibiting on his expressive countenance his own conviction as to his having "no business" where he was, while the public interpreted him in turn to be a professional rough-rider, a ready-made referee, an assistant veterinary-surgeon, or at the very least a peer of the realm. Further, it was actually reported on the ground at the time that while the judges were awarding a champion prize, a steward thought fit to join in by proffering the information that for one of the animals in competition a very large sum had been offered. But any such interference would be so unwarrantable as to be hardly credible.

An answer to some of the complaints as to the ineffi. ciency of the arrangements would or should be that the officials would do more when they knew more, and warmed to their work in the course of time. But, as it seems to us, it is once a steward always a steward here; so that experience has mainly served to get everything into a groove, while the Society and the show lack the incentive of fresh blood and new ideas. This is demonstrated in The Journal, where the same men report year after year on their several departments, a task which no man, however able, can continue to do effectively; as the same effete force of habit is observable in the issue of the official prize-list, a