The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1879-06-10 00:00:00

MONDAY.

The show opened this morning under most dispirit-
ing influences, the weather !vein g about ae disagreeable
as it is possible to conceive. The rain descended in
torrents and with great pershitence throughout the
day, and, added to the copious showers of Saturday
' and yesterday, reduced the already bad state of the
showyani to • miserable condition of slush and mud;
and the few ladies who had the hardihood to venture
Into the ehowyard presented • most pitiable condition.
The judging was carried on with very great difficulty,
and had frequently to be suspended an consequence of
the heavy downpour. A goodly number of spectators,
however, occupied the grand stand, and clustered
around the horse-ring during the judging in this
department, which, in consequence of the exceedingly
adverse influences of the weather, was prolonged
until • late hour in the afternoon, and for the same
reason the judges of the dock, sheep, and pigs did
not complete their duties 80 early as usual, and it was
Impossible to obtain more than a very general idea of
the character of the live stock exhibited. The homes
In all duees were good, and fully up to the average
of there shown at former exhibitions, the hunters and
ponies being the best represented classes, horses for
wricultural purposes not being a strong class, the
Devons and shorthorns being, perhaps, the strongest
dames in the cattle sheds, though the Devon& were
not so numerous as had been expected, seeing that the
show is held in the very heart of the county. The
hand of the Royal Marines occupied the orchestra
during the afternoon, and, muffled in their greet coats,
they played a choice selection of music, but bad very
few listeners; indeed the visitors to the ahowyard,
who were, as might be expected, compramiyely few in
number, after bearing the pitiless storm for an hour or
two, were glad to beat a hasty retreat, and early in
the day the ell"wyard presented • somewhat deserted
. The people of Exeter kept holiday,
Nrstarr6Zwere generally decked with flags, and there
were a few arches of evergreens, High-street in
particular presenting • gay appearance, though
the bunting, looddened with the rain, dropped listlessly
over head.
TUESDAY.

The disheartening weather ham thrown qUit;-*-71sa—n-
per over the show of the above society, and it is
feared will materially affect the pecuniary results.
The chief event of today has been the holding of the
annual meeting of the e.ouncil, which took place in
the Council Hall at noon, heel Morley in the chair.
The report, read by the secretary', 'Mr. Goodwin,
congratulated the general body f members that not-
withstanding many advenve influences, and the dark
cloud of depression which etill hangs over agriculture
and commerce, the progress iif the society has received
no material check. tie many meritorious animals are
annually excluded from the society's showyard by non.
observance of the time for the closing of entries that
it may be a question whether in future years a number
of post-entries may be admitted on payment of extra
fees. In glancing at the showyard the Council point
out that in the implement department there are
virtually not less than 59 compartments of machinery
in motion, the same number as at the society's recent
meeting at Bristol, and more than twice the number
shown when the society lad visited Exeter. Glancing
at the horticultural specimen., the Council, referring
to the latter, remark that this department, while
desiring by means of its loan collection to encourage
the exhibition of works of higher merit than those
ordinarily accessible to the public, still adheres to the
primary purpose of its institution—the encouragement
of rising talent.

The Council, in response to a very cordial invitation
from the Mayor and Town Council of Worcester, the
Worcestershire Agricultural Society, and the Local
Chamber of Agriculture, have resolved to hold their
meeting for ISM at Worcester.

There is little to add to the notice of the stock except
in reference to the sheep and pigs. With regard to
the former the leading prizes in the Leicester dames
were taken by Mr. O. Turner, jun., of Thorplands,
Northampton, and Mr. W. Tremaine, of Tobin,
Cornwell. In Southdowns, Mr. Rigden, of Ashcroft,
Sussex, and Mr. C. Chapman, of Worcester, took first
prizes for rains; and in Shropshire., which appeared,
as a clam, remarkably small, Lord Falmouth and Mr.
J. T. J. Mansell, of Brisignorth, were among the
leading priseholders. Of Oxfordshire Downs, Mr.
Treadwell, of Upper Winchendon, Aylesbury, took
the leading first prizes for rams. There was nothing
remarkable in the pigs. They were, AA a whole, •
superior lot, and a decided Improvement on some
recent shows.
Pittner.
^ • • • - • • - • • -

On Friday was the final day of the exhibitio7.."'ihe
weather was fine throughout the day, but the attend-
ance did not reach one-fourth ,4 what it had been on
the previous day, the number of paid admissMns being
7449, as against 7325 at Oxford and 14,111 at Bath on
the closing day.
Two men, named Henry Joseph Beachey and Edwanl
Hall, both of London, were charged on Friday before
the magistrates with embezzling—the former the sum
of LII Is., and the latter LI 13s.—the moneys of their
employers, Messrs. Hooper and Co., refreshment
omtractore at the showyard. Both prisoner* were
employed as attendants at one of Messrs. Hooper's
stands. Beachey pleaded guilty to stealing a portion
of the money, and was sentenced to three months'
imprisonment ,• and Hall, who denied the offence,
was committed for trial at the session.—Before the
same bench of magistrates, Henry King, of Bristol,
was charged with being in the showyard under
suspicious circumstances. The only evidence against
the prisoner was that given by P.C. Smith, of the
Bristol police force, who dated that he saw the
prisoner in the shovirard, and knowing him to have
been omvicted at Bristol be took him into custody.
No money nor any property WM found upon him.
The bench discharged the prisoner.
The Soria-re's Art Utrion.—The drawing for the
prizes in connection with the society's Art Union took
Duce in front f the Council tent in the showyard
Friday afternoon, and was witnessed by a large number
of penwns. The first prize of CM goes to Mr. Robert
Hayes, of Exeter.