The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-05-22 00:00:00

BATH AND WEST OF ENGLAND SOCIETY

SOLTTHERN COUNTIES ASSOCIATION.

The hundred-and-third Annual Exhibition o
this Socie'y will be held at Worcester. An alter-
au i will this yea,r• be made in the days upon
which the Yard will be open to the public. Instead
s in Te evious years, of opening on Monday and
closing on Friday, tha forthcoming Show will open
Wetine day, the 2nd June, and cl s on the even-
ing if Monday. the 7th of Jun —thus following
the Lte example of the Royal Agricultural
Society in making the two . (heap days fall on
S tur :ay and 111 nday, with a View to the conve-
niene.e of the masses. There is 1 ttle doubt c, n-
sideriug th else proximity of Worcester to the
dens- population of Birmingham and the inter •
veving &style s that, in the event of fine weather,
the attendance on the last two days will be exceed-
ingly large.
The Exhibition itself will be such as to have ber-n
hardly surpassed by any of its magnificent pre-
decessors In the Implement Department there is
a large increase over last year, there being in the
department of machinery in motion no lest than
85 compartments, occupied by all the leading firms
of agricultural engineers. The Yard, which is laid
out eery much on the same plan as that at Exeter,
is very full, and in fact numerous applications have
been declined from want of space. Many of the
large exhibitors from the Northern and Eastern
manufacturing centres, who, owing to the remote-
ness of the Fxhibition last year, were conspicuously
absent, will be well represented at Worcester.
The numbers in the Live Stock Department are in
the aggregate not unlike those of the excellent show
of last year, although, of course, more numerous in
the entries for the distinctive breeds of the district
wherein the she v is 11,1 d. All the principal
breeders and exhibitors, whose animals are well
known to the Agricultural world, will be
represented.
The Poultry Show will rival, if not exceed, that
at Oxford in 1878, whieh was up to that time the
largest ev r held by the Society.
An appropriate speciality of the Exhibition will
be an extensive and choice display of the artistic
ware,' for which Worcester is famous. The Royal
Porcelain Work and other well-known makers will
have stands in the Arts Manufacture Department,
and their names are a guarantee that the reputa-
tion of the city will be maintained. In the picture
gallery there will be in addition to numerous con-
tributions from residents in London and wore re-
mote par's of the kingdom, a number of choice
paintings and other works of art on loan, under the
care of an influential local committee, appointed for
the purpose.
The Horticultural Department will, as usual,
form an attractive feature of the Exhibition, and
v. ill consist of a number of rich specimens from the
floral collec ions of gentlemen and. nurserymen in
Wo-ces ershire and acljacen. counties.
The open judging of stock will commence pre -
cisely at 10 o'clock on Wednesday, June 2nd, the
gates b. ing opened to the public an hour previously
A new regulation to the etTect. that no animal or arti-
cle shall be removed from the Yard until the morn-,
ing after the close of the Exhibition, will doubtles
be appreciated by thosn.who visit the Show on the
Monday. In previous years some dissatisfaction
has been expressed by those present on the last day,
that the animals were removed before they had a
chance of seeing them In fact-, it has generally
been c nsidered as a reasonable explanation of the
falling-off in the a+tentlance. At Worcester, how-
cwt., the Show on Monday will be as long and com-
plete
lessinduce asuociel previous
residing oursesdayins, and
a distancedthisfact to
e
l doubt.
.
it for their visit.
on Thursday, at noon, the Annual Meeting o'
the Society will be held in the Show Yard, under
the presidency of the Earl of Coventry, when the
report of the Council will be presented, and the
President and thirty-three members of the Council
elected. The prizes offered by the Society for
Horse-shoeing at portable forges in the Yard will
be competed for on Friday by smiths representing
several of the Western counties. The bands of
ti e Grenadier Guards and Royal Marines have been
engaged, and on the Friday afternoon they will in
It may bireltwiacaduydi
ae;dtiaytthinteset
.hs
seai Shownbide tfhr
from
mt
combination play a selection of concerted pieces.
ecitsytearnisd
Specialaa nr c ld
near W
trainst hr
Pra*
will be run to suit the conveni.nee of visitors from
all parts—many of whom will no doubt be
additionally attracted by the architectural beauty
of the Cathedral and the proximity of the far-famed
Malvern hills.