Royal Agricultural Society of England

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Royal Agricultural Society of England
(RASE)
legal form Chartered Charity
founding May 9, 1838 in London
founder John Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer
Seat Kenilworth , Warwickshire
precursor English Agricultural Society
motto Practice with Science (practice with science)
purpose Promote the methods of agriculture for the benefit of the world
main emphasis Agriculture
Action space England and Wales
Website www.rase.org.uk

The Royal Agricultural Society of England ( RASE ) is a British, non-profit foundation founded in 1838 as the English Agricultural Society . In 1840 Queen Vicotria I confirmed the company with a Royal Charter , allowing the use of the attribute Royal and the name change to the Royal Agricultural Society of England.

aims

The RASE intends to be an independent voice for the interpretation and application of science and best practice to improve agricultural practices and food production with the aim of securing the future of the world.

Milestones

founding

According to Ernest Clarke, the Society's secretary, in 1890, the Agricultural Society of England was initiated on the occasion of the Smithfield Club's annual dinner at Freemason's Tavern on Great Queens Street on December 11, 1837. The leading head was Earl Spencer III, better known as Lord Althorp. Spencer conveyed from his own experience that not only animal husbandry must be considered, but agriculture as a whole should be considered. According to him, the application of science had not yet arrived in English agriculture.

" The application of science to practice was not as yet made by the English farmer "

- Earl Spencer speaking in December 1837

In his speech, Lord Althrop highlighted the Highland Society of Scotland as the paradigm of an agricultural society. This point of the speech was confirmed by the following speaker, the Duke of Richmond , who emphasized that scientific knowledge penetrated through society to farmers. Other prominent supporters also got in touch and so in 1938 a pamphlet was published in which the establishment of the Agricultural Society was advocated. Althrop was happy that political views were left out in this matter, so that he could fully support the establishment. Nevertheless, it was not until May 1838 that the first steps towards founding a company were taken. During a meeting on May 9th, the founding of the Agricultural Society of England was decided and committees were appointed to define the rules of the community. In the first week after the meeting, the committee held four meetings and the statutes took shape. Earl Spencer became the first president of the association.

On June 27, 1838, the Society's first general assembly was held and the statutes were formally adopted. During the General Assembly, Earl Spencer read out a list of activities that required the attention of society:

  1. Storage of root vegetables
  2. Plowing techniques
  3. Transportation and mixing of soil
  4. Plant-endangering insects
  5. black caterpillars
  6. Application of mechanical energy (motors)
  7. Plow with two horses
  8. Spring fodder, grain, grass, vetch
  9. Fruit rotation
  10. Best Methods for Earth Analysis
  11. irrigation
  12. Planting techniques
  13. Undersown / undergrowth
  14. Cereal breeding
  15. economic maintenance of workhorses
  16. Improved Farms Abroad
  17. Barn feeding on the continent (Europe)
  18. Plant diseases
  19. Plows or other tools for creating drainage ditches
  20. new agricultural implements

In just two months after the first meeting, a society with over 500 members and a demanding task list was created. For articles on the above Topics were advertised for prizes, the Royal Veterinary College offered lectures on better animal husbandry, calls for tenders for better equipment and at the next general assembly in December 1938 Earl Spencer announced the publication of a journal on the activities of the society.

At the annual general meeting in May 1939, the outgoing President, Earl Spencer, announced that in just one year the membership had grown to over 1,100 members. The company was so successful that it was decided at this meeting to apply for a royal charter with Queen Victoria. This charter was signed on March 26, 1840. At the annual general assembly in 1940 the number of members had risen to over 2000.

In 1845 the company took part in the establishment of the Royal Agricultural College, the predecessor of today's Royal Agricultural University . In 1866, the RASE succeeded in initiating the Cattle Disease Prevention Act through political influence and thus influencing the spread of animal diseases. In 1870, RASE established the UK's first experimental research station. At the Agricultural Fair in 1895, a quality assessment of milk was presented for the first time, thus laying the foundation for modern milk management. In 1899, the National Examination Board established state-wide examination regulations for agricultural training, thus laying the foundation for modern vocational training .

In 1920 the RASE carried out tests on tractors and thus promoted their introduction as tractors and work machines in agriculture. In 1944, during the Second World War , a conference laid the foundation for the 1947 Agricultural Act , which had a significant impact on agriculture in the post-war period. In 1973, the RASE initiated the Rare Breeds Survival Trust , which has set itself the task of preserving old breeds and varieties, comparable to the Arche farms in Germany.

literature

Vignette from the Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE)

According to the journal database, the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England was published from 1842 to 1914 (ZDB-ID 2477779-1).

Via the Royal Agricultural Society

  • James Anderson Scott Watson: The History of the Royal Agricultural Society of England 1839-1939 ; Royal Agricultural Society, 1939
  • Nicholas Goddard: Harvests of change: the Royal Agricultural Society of England, 1838-1988

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Royal Agricultural Society of England: Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England . In: Third Series . 1890, p. 1 to 19 ( archive.org ).
  2. ^ EA Wasson: The Third Earl Spencer and Agriculture, 1818-1845 . In: The Agricultural History Review . tape 26 , no. 2 , 1978, p. 89-99 , JSTOR : 40273967 .
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j unknown: History. In: RASE website. Royal Agricultural Society of England, accessed December 15, 2019 .