The Express.
London, England, 1855-08-10 00:00:00

DUBLIN, AIIOOII2 9.
The annual show of the Royal Irish Agricultural
Society commenced yesterday at Carlow, and may be
described as a good average one, both in the number
and the quality of the animals exhibited. The weather
was anything but propitious, yet the attendance of
visitors was numerous and fashionable; and hi Ex-
cellency the Earl of Carlisle, who was himseN an
exhibitor, and obtained the pseud prim for a beauti-
ful abort-horned bull seat over hom Castle Howard,
arrived in the ehowyard about 3 o'clock, attended by
two aides-de-camp, and was received by the Duke of
Leinster and the members of the eommittee. Two
militia bands were in attendance, and the general
sent of the some was extremely interesting. In the
evening the annual banquet of the society took
plans in the great ball of the railway terminus, the
Duke of Leinater, as president of the society, pre-
siding; and besides the Lord Lieutenant there were
several other distinguished guests. The toast of
"The Lewd Lieutenant and Prosperity to Ireland"
laving been proposed and duly !immured,
His Euellency returned thanks, and in the wane
of his observations said :

I helloes that this society ordered upon its carer—its
most importast and auspicious caner—at a period when
my lest official eonnexioo with this countrymen to a dose,
bat not before I had the opportunity of coaferring upon the
'abject with 000 whom you will all admit to lave been ens
of in meet public spirited and silkiest promoters, if I may
not sell him entirely its founder, the late Mr. Peter Purcell.
(Hear.) To prove how far it hes sine. proceeded and pros-
pered I lave only to refer to the large dinteations, the
excellent arrangements, the timothy and quality what)
it has this day displayed upon the veriest basks of the
Barrow. (Applause.) Sines the period to what I have
referred .f its first birth allow me to cast a brief ntrospets
upon its most prominent operations in the subsequent
interval. The society wisely resolved to encourage
affiliated societies, and I learn that them are at this
moment upwards of seventy such branch societies esta-
blished in Ireland. (Hear.) By this method, end by hold-
ing those annual meetings In the principal towns of Inland
I. sucessios, it has carried its own experience through
absest every district in its tam, and thereby Waded to fuse
together the knowledge of the best specialties of each, whe-
ther is tillage or pasture, in cereals and green coops, in the
breeding and fattening of cattle; and I have little dint*
that without slighting other mon weighty inflates*. whisk
hen been at work upon the social condition of the Irish
people—some of them of a mingled character—without
slighting the weight to be attached to them, I have little
doubt that the Royal Irish Agricultural Society has greatly
assisted the extension and improvement of agriculture which
has so largely marked the last 20 years in the annals of our
own country. (Cries of "Hear, hear.") For example, let
me lest mention, that I dad, from the latest official return.,
that the quantity of land under cultivation in Ireland at the
time of the establishment of your society—in the year 1841—
was 13.464,800 acres; in the year 1851 it amounted to
14,802,581 acres. (Hear, hear.) Then, as to the value
of live stock, in 1841, it was computed to be
19,339,0001.; in 1861 it had reached the figure of
27,326,0001.—(hear, hear)—in 1853 it had further
increased to 31,844,00 W. ; and in the last year, 1866,
it is computed at 33,6080001. (" Hear," aid cheers.)
I believe of late years it will be found that the growth of
wheat has diminished, but that of oats and barley has in-
creased ; but the increase is still more striking with respect
to green crops, turnips, and mangold wurtzel ; for I believe
it is true that in 1841, there was an sere of green crops to
every two of corn crops. Reseal' far back as 1847 the propor-
tion had shifted, and there was en acre of green crops to
four end upwards of corn crops. (Mormon of dissent.)
Will I make it clear ? I beg pardon—that there is now in
1855, an acre of green crops to every two acres of corn
crops. No longer ago than 1847 the proportion was an
acre of green crops to four and upwards of corn. (Hear.
bear.) This, with respect to one of the productions of
Ireland, and a very important one, of the crop of flax,
for which the climate and ...lot belted has been thought
particularly suitable, and to the growth of which the
present war with Russia gives a great additional import-
une*. (Hear, bear.) The flax crops in 1849 occupied
60,314 acres ; in the year 1863 they occupied 174,379
acres. (Hear.) I believe the great "mount of flex that is
grown is chiefly mill confined to Ulster ; but there see not
wanting now enlightened proprietors who have made the
experiment in this part of Ireland, in the west, and in the
south ; and tf it be found remunerative—which, I beg to
remind you, is the true and sound test of all practice—their
patriotic eaample, I have no doubt, will be largely followed.
Bit the crop of flax, as those acquainted with it are well
sears, is too bulky, in proportion to the commercial part of
it (the fibre), to bear the cost of carriage, without the aid of
match mills ; and I find that the scotch mill. in 1864, last
year, amounted to the number of 1,100. (Hear.) There-
fore there henry reason to believe that this most important
article of produce is being largely and increasingly culti-
vated. Then you must not forget that while the productions
of Ireland have thus strikingly increased, it is no doubt
equally true that to some extent the population has dimi-
nished. (Hear.) Therefore the ooaditioa of the remaining
population, I take it, has been benefited in two ways;, and
so far as their mows hays command over the necessaries of
life and the chit! articles of sunspaces are concerned, not
only has the amount of food which is at their com-
mand increased, but there has aloe been a marked im-
provement in the soundness and nutritive character of the
food. Thus, gentlemen, if such has been the continued
progress, despite the blight of famine and the drain of emi-
gration, and the dreadful calamity of war, whether we refer
to the productiveness of the nil, the enterprise of the pro-
prietors, or the general condition of tt • people may net
our hopes for the future—sobered indeed by a reliance apse
the inscrutable will of an all-ruling Providence—may aot
oar hopes for the future be most encouraging and sanguine ?
(Hear.) And if such be the general improvement in Irish
griculture and the condition of the Irish population, let me
add my earnest boot that this society, the great Irish Agri-
culturel Society itself, may long continue to witness sad
develops its inestimable advantages under the genial
auspices of your grace—(applause)—and that gathering "till
increasing support from all classes and from all orders—thin
those who represent the most ancient lineage, and the
largest wealth of the country, and from those whose hest
working industry and labour sustain the wide basis dose
metal fabric—(applause)—briagiog to bear all the eel, lights
of science—applying all such new methods, and {infernos
all such old ones as experience may approve, this society
may make each future year, as it has done each,past of its
valuable existence, and find its best reward in the ackeew-
ledgmenop of new advantages confined upon a peaceful, •
prosperous, and a crateful people.
There has been a decided improvement is the
weather. A correspondent of the Southey's Re-
porter writes as fellows as to the state of the grow-
ing craps :
Senna reports have been Lode recently to the persona
engaged in the traits in breadstuff', calculated to revive
that spirit of speauletion whale during the past jean, and
particularly thtlest, ceased each extreme distress and mi-
sers loth* Watering classes, and is now certain to react ow
the parties engaged in it with conseconees whisk we may
regret, although we may mender dinned. I feel it is due
to the interest you have at all times evinced to promote the
itrath' to state that I have made themest eeneling legal-
I nes from masons upon. whose strict veracity I can depend, as
to the state of the crops, mid the reports are, without any ea-
coptionosast favourable. Whoa, berley, sad oats, present
the moat luxuriaat appearasers all through the two
mosteepresented an appear-
t"fwaistilll-ewbarate°ead"
same: such promise. Such blowom has not been seen on
of
talmt.o.kidity and Barrymore—and as to
it simes the first year of famine, 1845, and the people look
on it, not shag with admiration, hat with the utmost
tkankfulnesa to the Supreme Being. Yesterday, accom-
panied by this. friends, *a an outside esr, I drove tot several
hours, inspected with minuteness th gardens, in every
direction, and you may, without hesitation, enure your
aseneross reader,, that altogether the country never before
presented • more promising appearance.

A French firm hu enterea into a contract with a
Sligo establishment for the supply of beef and pork, which
will, if ws be rightly informed, mats a large increase in the
demand for black cattle and pigs.

MISHAPS TO FRENCH OUNEOATS.—RAMSOATE,
AUOMIT B.—We briefly rerorted in yesterday's Eefireee,
a collision between the French gunboat, St. Barba,
and the sehooner Lady Bannerm■n,cl Swansea. The St.
Beebe, it appears, lost foremest end bowsprit, sad received
other damage, whilst the Lady Baneesmsn—such was the
force of the concassioa—appeared to be actually cut in two,
at she sank within three minutes after the collision, the crew
barely saving themselves by getting en board the gunbont,
having mead nothing whatever. The St. Beebe was in
company wit► three other French gunboats, all being pa
' their voyage from Cherbourg to the Baltic ; and limber
amounts, received at Lloyd's yesterday, euntain partienlin
of another 0011ilidia between the French gunboat, Lome,
and the brig Fanny, Cripvey. of Plymouth. The latter be.
put back to Dover, with ices of jib.boom, cutwater, stem,
*c., sad the former is reported to have been towed into
Calais, with loss of foremast, end very considerable damage
to bet ►ull. The °facers and 44 men of the Lsnes were
lauded at Dover ea Wednesday, and the French Consul there
seat the latter to the Sailors' Home, which institution
geserouly *pawl its door hg Wir adaimice.