The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-21 00:00:00

THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

The proceedings of the Royal AgriAltural Society in the
North of England were commenced at Carlisle on Thursday
by the partial opening of the show ground to the public. The
admission, however, was confined to the trial-yard, where
experiments were made with various steam-engines and other
machinery of large dimensions, to afford the judges the op-
portunity of testing their respective merits.
This enclosure comprises an area of nearly 15 acres. This
space is separated into two divisions, the larger of which is
appropriated to live stock, implements, and agricultural
seeds ; the other to the steam-engines, stationary and lo.eco•
motive, and the more complicated pieces of machinery whlh
require steam power to put them in operation. The former
compartment contains no less than 36 wooden sheds or
Tb
wo oetrihtsy,
running across the ground and parallel to each otkher,nciuding
of these sheds are appropriated to live stock, including
horses, cattle, and sheep, 14 to agricultural implements,
two to agricultural seeds and poultry. Altogether,iies.
The na-
amount of shedding and fencing exceeds t
the ban-
quet cannot be
etnhtes'teatal
turo of the soil upon which the show is
excelled, if equalled, in any part of th
Within the show ground the pavilion,iserected. Its construe
is to be hold next Thursdhaey,ry.
gal Palace—wood and
tion is upon the principle of tt
.1%
it tho same time strong and
iron— handsome, a.117'
and
litfOhdin'ers. ii,iyfitifi„ch
capable of accommodating
IS)
sum the
saltogeth • 2 000/
ei , ~ the whole of
as horses, and
society adds 600/., makinfies.
The town of Carlisle.iil
which is given away prizes.
It 5
ts Ito f r
entriesibe s 1:015.
0,
ft:.
It appears from the
stallions, are concerned, the e •
nsuu, show is likely
especially
ever held since the '''
to be superior to any formation of the so.
eiety. In this department it will surpass the great show at
Windsor both in number and quality. Tho Clydesdale horses
iu particular are numerous and of the very first-rate quality.
In cattle the entries are, perhaps, an average number, but it
is believed that the show of Galloways and other local stock
ivill prove a successful novelty. In the sheep department,
too, which is not numerous, the Cheviots are likely to carry
off the palm.

When that portion of the show ground devoted to the ex-
position of the po'veri of the agricultural locomotive and fixed
machinery was opened to the public the weather was not
favourable.
There were AVM fined eugiuos in the yard, all, with "1G

exception, of 8-horse power, exhibited by. Messrs. Barr eat
Exall, and Andrewes, of Reading ; Clayton' Shuttleworth.,
and Co., Lincoln ; Wm. Dray and Co., London ; Ransoms
tad Sims, Ipswich ; J. Gray and Co., Uddingstone, Glasgow;
frith and Co., Glasgow ; and Tuxford and Sons, Buxton.
The array of portable steam-engines, both as regards beauty
.)f appearance and excellence of finish, was perhaps superior
anything that has yet been exhibited under the auspices of
the society. They were nine in number, and by the follow-
ing makers :—Messrs. Clayton and Shuttleworth, Ransomo
end Sims, Croskill, of Beverly, Garrett and Son, Leiston, Tux-
ford and Sons, Lee, of Walsall, Exall and Andrewes, Hornsby,
of Grantham, and Boydell and Glasier, of London, manufac-
;;,irers of the steam-horse or traction engine. With these pieces
if machinery Usher's steam plough may properly be classed.
The trial cf the fixed engines is conducted in a somewhat
imperfect manner. The peculiar quality of coal supplied is
uch as to render it impossible to generate steam sufficient
.or
the satisfactory working of he engines, which were
times brought to a standstill in consequence. Under
eLese circumstances the result must necessarily be au im-
)erfect one. With both the fixed and portable engines
he usual method observed by the society was adopted in the
trials—that of supplying to each engine 141 b of coal for each
gorse-power, with which they, ware to effect as large an
tmomit of work as the capacity and the economical arrange-
neut of the machine world hermit upon the dinanometer, or
:orce resister, supplied by the so,Hety.
So far as the trials have at present gone, Messrs. Barrett,
Exalt, and Andrewes have done the most work, running two
';oars one minute and a half with 1 cwt. of coal.
The experiments of the portable engines were attended
adth the usual amount of excitement and sneaulatibn among
he makers, several of the machines appearing likely to run
very close upnn each other. The experiments of the day
dosed with the performance of Messrs. Clayton and Shuttle-
worth's engine of an amount of work exceeding any before
,frected, namely, three hours and 27 minutes, being an eight-
horse engine, with 1 cwt. of coal.
Hoydell's locomotive or steam traction engine attracted a
good deal of attention. It is possessed of two six-and-a-half
inch cylinders, the engine is very readily reversed, and one
peculiarity and excellence of its arrangement is that the
ctraggng wheels—which are the hinder pair of the ordinary
carriage wheels —are driven, not by gear on the nave of the
wheel, as in former attempts at loc: motive farm engines,
but by gearing it at the circumfereace of the wheel, thus
rendering available the leverage of the spokes of the wheel.
The great obstacle to the application of steam power to
ordinary farm purposes has hitherto been the difficulty of
moving heavy engines on clayey or other !stiff soils. This is
obviated by the so-called " portable railway," which the
wheels of Boydeli's invention carry with them, consisting
of a series of shoes, or short lengths of rail, on a broad
solo, that by ingenious arrangement revolve with the
wheel outside its circumference ; thus literally laying short
lengths of rail by the motion of the wheals themselves, the
rail always being slightly in advance of the wheels laying it,
and of course being pulled up and passed again to the front
by each revolution. The first impression given to the spec-
tator on seeing this engine is by no means favourable, the
most striking feature being its unwicldly and uncouth ap-
pearance, but on a close examination, anti more especially
when in motion, there is much to excite admiration as well
as astonishment. By a short projecting pole, with chains
attached to a wheel, -in all respects the same as the
rudder chains and wheel of a ship, the engine is
steered and turned completely round both quickly and
in an incredibly small space. Much amusement was
occasioned by the manner in which it plodded through
the yard at the rate of about four miles an hour, going over
two 3-inch planks laid upon each other, without any ap-
parent check to the progress of the engine, which was also
run along the side of a steep embankment, throwing it consi-
derably out of level, without at all deranging its machinery
or in the least decreasing its efficiency. It is well known
that the " portable railway " has for some time pant been on
trial at Woolwich, and the principle, we believe, has already
been applied to the wheels of some heavy guns at the seat of
war. At Woolwich the experiment was satisfactory, but
Lord Panmure is awaiting the result of the trial of this en-
gine at the present meeting of the society before deciding
upon any extensive application of the principle. Should it
prove satisfactory, it will be the commencement of a new
era in military engineering and the transport of ordnance.
It is asserted that the machine, though 6 tons 10 cwt. in weight,
is available upon any soft uneven ground. It was tried upon
ground but recently saturated with rain, and though at the
time working with only 91b. or 101 b. pressure of steam, the
movement was very satisfactory, and the impression upon
the grass scarcely perceptible. It is also asserted that it can
draw 70 tons, or something like a dozen field-pieces, or drag
as many ploughs through the soil at one and the same time.
This, however, remains to be seen. The ordinary speed is
about four miles and three miles and a half as hour, but
that can be increased if necessary. One apparent obstacle
to its service on very heavy ground is that the tank contain-
ing the water is placed so low that it would be liable to be
damaged by any strong obstruction in uneven or rocky dis-
tricts.
With respect to the general show of implements, there is
nothing very new or extrosdinary. The number of combined
thrashing, shaking, and winnowing machines is on the in-
crease, and several of them appear to be much in advance
of previous years. Besides the portable machines, there are
three sets of fixed barn works for thrashing and fixing and
weighing off corn ready for market ; those of Messrs. Clayton
and Shuttleworth, Garrett and Sons, and Ra.nsome and Sims
appear to be the principal rivals.
The trials of the engines were, as heretofore, conducted
under the immediate inspection of Mr. C. E. Amos, con-
sulting engineer to the society. The judges of the engines
are Mr. J. V. Gouch, civil engineer and engineer to the
Eastern Counties Railway, and Mr. W. Owen, of Rotherham.
The revolving horse-hoe is said to be exciting great interest
among the farmers of the locality, which is a great turnip-
growing district.
Subscriptions have been raised to decorstte the town. A
grand floricultural and horticultural exhibition is to be held
during throe days next week in the vicinity of the show
ground, a ball is to be given on Wednesday, concerts during
the week, and many other minor amusements have been de-
vised to keep the multitude in good humour. . .

The following is the programme of the arrangements at
the dinner on Thursday next :
The Cumberland Floral and Horticultural Society intend
holding a grand exhibition of flowers, fruits, and vegetables
(open to the United Kingdom), on the 24th, 25th, and 26th
days of July, in spacious tents and marquees adjoining the
site fixed upon by the Royal Society. 2001. will be offered
for competition, and in the list may be noticed prizes
for stove and greenhouse plants, pelargoniums, fuschias, cal-
ceolarias, ericas, orchidaceous plants, exotic ferns, ranuncu-
luses, &c. Perhaps the greatest novelty is a first, second,
and third prize for the best collection of wax flowers ; this
art has attained great perfection, the correct and beautiful
imitations being sometimes most striking. 101. is offered for
fruits, including pine-apples, grapes, melons, peaches, &c. ;
and 41. 10s. for vegetables, including cucumbers, peas, pota-
toes, mushrooms, &c. In addition to the foregoing there will
be liberal prizes given for the best specimens of flowers, fruits,
and vegetables, grown and shown by amateurs only.

MARKET NEWS.-(THIS DAY.)

I MPE RI AL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS-(YESTERDAY.)

Thei LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the wool-
sack at five o'clock.

Lord LYNDHURST begged to ask a question of the
noble lord on the woolsack with respect to certain mea-
sures of law reform. -The noble lord at the latter end of
last session stated his intention of introducing a bill to
alter the law of divorce, and a measure for the purpose
of transferring from the Ecclesiastical Court to the Court
of Chancery almost all j urisdiction relating to matri-
monial causes. (Hear, hear.) The noble lord had
introduced a bill relating to this subject, but it
was subsequently withdrawn in consequence of some
objection raised to it by a right rev, prelate. The noble
lord had also introduced the Testamentary Jurisdiction
Bill, which had passed after some discussion, but when
introduced into the other house it was given up. In
the present session the Lord Chancellor suggested that
the Testamentary Jurisdiction Bill should originate in the
other house of Parliament. Notwithstanding, Parliament
bad met as early as February, the measure was not intro-
duced until close upon the month of May. Several other
law measures promised had likewise been postponed
until they had arrived at a period of the session when it
was impossible to pass them. This was a state of things
which he thought demanded explanation. When he
found that such bills, introduced by his noble and
learned friend, as the Registration of Deeds Bill, ob-
jected to in its passage through the House of Commons
by the law Officers, he was disposed to think that there
was not a coratal co-operation between the noble and
learned lord on the woolsack and the law officers in the
other house. Not a 'single Government bill for the pur-
pose of reforming the laws of England had been carried
this session.
The LORD CHANCELLOR observed that when it
was considered that four-fifths of the session were occupied
with questions relating to the war, he thought that that fact
was a very good reason why these measures of law reform
alluded to had ❑ot been introduced. He denied, then,
that there was a want of co-operation between himself
and the law officers in the other house. He thought that
his noble and learned friend (Lord Lyndhurst) was mis-
taken in supposing that the Testamentary Juriieliction
Bill was delayed this session so late as May. He
believed it was introduced in March. It :was of
course always his wish to consult the law officers
of the Crown in respect to all those measures of
law reform he deemed it necessary to introduce, and to
frame them in such a way as would meet with the gene-
ral concurrence. He pleaded not guilty to the charge
of having introduced no measures of importance that
session. He felt that he had introduced a great many
important bills, which ho hoped would become
law in the course of the session. He could not
help thinking that his noble and learned friend
was induced to make those observations because
it was his intention to quit the house for the reinainder
of the session. He was afraid they would have to sit
for three or four weeks longer ; and if his noble and
learned friend had only waited until the end of the ses-
sion, he would be much better able to express an opinion
as to the quantity and quality of business that had been
done.

After a few words from several noble lords, the subjee,
dropped.

SLIVERY AND THE SLAVE TRADE.

Lord BROUGHAM presented a petit:on from the
British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, whiCh com-
plained of the encouragemert given to the slave trade
and slavery in general by various Governments in Ame-
rica, and by persons holding high offices under them.
After referring to several inatances, as Guiana. Cuba•,
and Carolina, the noble lord expressed a hope that the
nobie lord the Secretary of State for Foreiga affairs
would be able to give the house some hope that an ame-
lioration would be effected in this state of things. _

The Earl of CLARENDON said he had no (boob t
that the warning of the noble lord would be attended to
in Guiana. The present Captain-General of Cuba had
determined to act on tho principles laid down by his
predecessor, and was desirous of doing everything in his
power for the suppression of the traffic and a bhneficial
alteration in the present system.
The Merchant Shipping ACt Amendment 811 was
read a second time and ordered to be committed.

The Bills of Lading (No. 2) Bill was also read a socond
time and ordered to be committed.

The report of amendments on the Religious Worship
Dill was brought up and received.
The Bills of Exchange and Promissory Notes J3ill was
read a third time and passed.

The report of amendments to the Burial Bill. Wag re.
calved.

The Lady Raglan and Lord R Lglan's Annuities Bil
was read a third time and pa sed.
The Crime and Outrage (Ireland) Continuance Bill
passed through Committee.
The Turnpike Acts Continuance Bill was real a se•
cond time.
The West Indies Relief Loans Arrangement Bill was
lead a second time.