The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-21 00:00:00

Royal Agricultural Show at Newcastle,

NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, Wednesday.
The number of paying visitors on Monday and
Tuesday was 10,944, or 2,418 more than for the
corresponding time last year ; and the receipts
showed an increase of £274, surpassing the receipts
at even the Battersea meeting. The number of
halfcrowns taken to-day up to 1 o'clock has been
satisfactory; and to-morrow and Friday are to be
the days for the million, at an admittance fee of
one shilling.
If clnsters of " inquiring minds" (generally well
dressed, with the newest graces of form and colour)
gathered round the humming and whirring engines
in the department of " machinery in motion," or
perambulated the interesting stands of the imple-
ment makers, or inspected the show of fleeces and of
butter in its neat little baskets, or glanced at the
" miscellaneous" stalls (with a colony of bees
in full bustle at their stirring trade) still larger
numbers congregated about the prize animals,
and formed eager circles round the spaces where,
from time to time, classes of cattle were marched
in succession, and the horses paced and
pranced to admiration. To the half-score grand
thoroughbreds, the poor show of hunter stallions,
the good show of hunter brood mares, and the weak
lot of agricultural horses (including, however, a
few prime Suffolks), and of Drays (including Mr
Strickland's grand "Lincolnshire"), we have already
referred. The redeeming feature of the horse classes
is to be found in the hunters competing for prizes
offered by the liberal local cummittee. Mr Booth's
' " Beechwood," a great prize taker in his time, is a
splendid bay with first-rate action, but fairly beaten
on this occasion by Mr Frederick Graham's chest-
nut gelding the " Tyke." Among the 4yr olds,
Mr Clark's " Sprig of Nobility" is especially ad-
mired, but followed close by Mr Norman's chestnut
"Radical." That rarity a first-class roadster has
hardly been brought out at the present show, but
Mr Brown's " President Junior" and Mr Forster's
" 3lultum in Parvo" are creditable specimens of a
good useful sort.

A pretty show of ponies attracts much attention
Mr Norman's plucky little " Jack" and Mr Ord's
" Little Stag" being special favourites.
The pig show is much thronged as usual by con-
noisseurs of extreme fatness and marvellous pre-
cocity. The small black breed has come up well,
Mr Sexton and Mr Stearn taking their accustomed
places of honour. A good show of small white
breed finds Messrs. Mangles and Stearn as well up
as ever ; and in the fine class of large breed pigs
we have some extraordinary specimens exhibited
by Messrs Harrison and Weinman. The Berk-
shires are well represented and of good quality, Mr
Stewart, Mr Tombs, Mr Druce, and Mr Sadler
having some extremely fine animals, taking either
prizes or commendations.
If the Society could pride itself upon nothing
else, it can certainly take credit for having induced
great mechanical improvements in farm machinery
by reason of the trial tests annually or triennially
provided. Exception may be taken to the value
of hasty dynamometrical experiments upon some
field implements, but undoubtedly the power
measuring contrivances of the consulting engi-
neer have taught the exhibitors many a lesson.
Astonishing differences used to be found between
one thrashing machine and another, between chaff
engines, mills, crushers, in the amount of motive
power wasted in the friction of the working parts,
and now the same ordeal of exact testing is likely
to give us further improvements in the important
class of steam-tilling machinery. As the present
trial of steam cultivators is likely to be the last
for three years to come, the results of Monday's
private experimenting at Benton are of considerable
moment. In order co determine the amount of
motive power required to drive each set of appa-
ratus the foLowing plan was adopted. Each engine
in turn was set to haul aFowler three-furrow plough
up to an anchorage placed about 170 yards off, and
then back again. In order that the friction of
the gear work upon the engine itself, between the
crank-shaft and the rope drums, might be in-
cluded in the trial, the engine connecting rod was
removed from the crank shaft, and the engine fly-
wheel was driven by a belt from an independent 14-
horse engine placed for the purpose. This 14-horse
engine was employed to work all the sets of appara-
tus in turn, being driven at one regular speed of
about 130 revolutions per minute, and one of Mr
Amos's rotary dynamometers was interposed between
this engine and the engine under trial, in order to
measure and record the amount of power given out.
Then as the same plough (taking three furrows of
10 inches wide by 7 inches deep) was used for each
set of machinery, the amount of motive power con-
sumed by each apparatus in performing precisely
the same work was thus determined. It should be
observed that all the sets of machinery had the
advantage of the Fowler plough "slack gear," for
tightening, and so partially supporting the tail
or following rope. Of course, the rope, in so
short a length of furrow, was well carried by
rope-porters. The draught and strain due to Messrs
Coleman and Morton's apparatus averaged 1993 lb ;
and when the elements of distance travelled during
the observation and the time run are brought into
the calculation, the result comes out as 111 horse-
power engaged. But es their system is to haul two
implements at once, and these never in work toward
the anchored pulley, this does not represent the
Itrue comparative mechanical efficiency of their ap-

paratus.
Messrs. Savory's angina, with two winding drums
upon the boiler, was next under trial, The average
draught and strain was 2,309 lb; and taking into
account the distance and time about 201 horse-power

was engaged.
The average draught or strain for Mr. Fowler's
Dingle 7-horse engine set was 1,996 lb; time and
distance bringing the result to about 131-horse

power.
Messrs. Howard's rope does not pass directly up
and down the field, but round anchored pulleys at
the corners of the plot, which, in this case, was so
small (probably about three acres, with the above
170 Toads length of furrow) that the length of rope
did not much vary from that needed by the other or
direct system of hauling, and as the Fowler slack
gear was used as well as Messrs. Howard's own
compensation pulleys for the same purpose, this
trial could not truly represent the usual working
of the Bedford apparatus. The average draught or
strain was 2,4091bs ; and, time and distance being
reckoned, the result is about 15-horse power en-
gaged. Every precaution was taken to insure a per-
fectly fair and open testing of each set of machinery.
Mr Fowler has won both the first and second
prizes for the best application of steam power to the
cultivation of the soil, the first prize for the best
ditto adapted to small occupations, the first prize
for the best plough for steam power, the first
prize for the best cultivator for steam power, the
prize for the best windlass" for a separate engine,
and a high commendation for a rope-porter. Messrs.
Howard have obtained the second prize for the
small occupation apparatus, second prize for a steam
plough, second prize for a steam cultivator, the
prize for the best harrows for steam power, the
et:coed prize for separate windlass, a high commen-
dation for a 2-furrow deep plough, and two commen-
dations for Norwegian steam power harrows, and a
rope-porter. Messrs. Savory take the third prize
for a windlass. Messrs. Aveling and Porter gain
the prize for the best rope•porter, Messrs. Colmen
and Morton take the second prize for a rope-porter,
and a silver medal for the steam power cultivator.
Mr. Steevens has a silver medal for his steam
plough, and Messrs. Garrett are highly commended
for their apparatus on Savory's principle.
The dog show premises to be a success commer-
cially. There is a good display of hounds, a meri•
torious collection of pots and toys, and a suffi-
ciently attractive addition of foreign dogs and curi-
ous canine oddities.
The flower show, with the assistance of a
good
hand,city draws a share of company, and visitors to the
Tyne
are welcomed with all sorts or other amuse.
ulPlts for the evening.