The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-20 00:00:00

the last consequence that the question should be
fully and fairly tried out, and the field at Wimbles
don affords an admirable opportunity for doing so.

We are authorised to state that the distribution
of prizes will take place on Siturday, at 3 o'clock.
ERRATA.—I❑ the 4th Series, Extra Prizes, yes-
terday, J. A. Suter, written as " corporal," should
be " ciptain." In City of London Prizes on Satur-
day, Corporal Wortham, London Rifle Brigade,
was written "Northam ;" and in Ist Stage, Queen's,
Corporal Jerinyn, 2d Middlesex, was written
" Germyn."

Royal Agricultural Show at Newcastle,

NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, Tuesday.

Eighteen years ago the society's show-yard occu-
pied somewhat over a dozen acres of its present site,
but now the eye-proof hoarding encircles about 45
acres, without wasting at all too much space for
perambulating crowds between the interminable
rows of shedding, It is no easy walk to call upon
the honorary director, Mr Brandreth Gibbs, drop
into the secretary's office in another part of the
ground, step into the bull park, where the machi-
nery is in motion, and then thread one's way across
the great enclosure to the horaes' ring, or the " first
class refreshments." Bigger than it was, and with
greater facilities and accommodations of every kind
—with chairs on which to loiter, a telegraph to take
your news, and police-constables from the Imperial
Parliament itself to keep eager ladies and gentle-
men in order, we wish the place could be a little
prettier. If gay red fringes or striped cloth be too
dear, at any rate the society might empower Mr
Manning to grace his booths with clusters of cheer-
ful flags. We may borrow an ornamental idea from
the Bath and West of England Society if we cannot
afford to be smart like the French at their rural
gatherings,
We have here 380 cattle, 160 horses, more than
400 pens of sheep, and 130 pens of swine—a large
increase, indeed, since the Newcastle meeting of
1846, when there were shown about half the num-
ber of cattle, one- third the number of horses, and
about half the number of sheep. And we have here
4,000 implements and machines, instead of the 730
shown 18 years ago. The society's funds are un-
doubtedly flourishing ; the average country meeting
receipts during the last five years (excluding the
exceptional Battersea) have amounted. to £9,694,
while five years before they averaged £5,177 ; five
years before that they averaged £4,642.; and five
years earlier still they averaged £4,134. But the so-
ciety has not maintained its progress in every respect
for at the time of the last Newcastle meeting there
were 6,970 members, subscribing £7,040 per annum,
whereas at !present the society can only eon gratu.
late itself upon the " steady support" of 4,879
members, the average number during the last five
years. If the free admission of members on the
108. day and other advantages recently obtained are
followed up by bold measures calculated to win the
goodwill of the great farming class, we shall soon
hear no more of such a left-handed style of exten-
sion and advancement.

Among the cattle classes the Shorthorns are the
wonder of the Show, and the most astonishing class
is that of aged cows of this breed. The entire class
of 13 animals is "generally commended," but the
judges also awarded two "high commendations" to
cows but little inferior to those taking the third
and second prizes. Sir Matthew White Ridley's
Evelina IV. is an extremely fine cow ; level, broad,
deep, of great girth, handsome, and with a good
coat. Mr Douglas's Maid of Athelstaue is another
extraordinary good cow, and Mr Stratton and Mr
Edward Rowly contribute to this splendid class
animals fully equal in merit to some of the prize-
takers of past years. In the heifer class Mr Dou-
glass takes the first prize with his pretty Pride of
Athelstane, beating Mr Lambert's Queen of Beauty
and Mr Stratton's Diadem. Mr Eastwood's Barmp.
ton Butterfly, of the Towneley -park herd, is not
placed, being evidently out of condition. The yearly
heifers make a large and grand class, Mr East-
wood's Royal Butterfly Pageant, being third to Mr
Mitchell's Blue Belle, and Mr Foljambe's beautiful
Gipsey Queen. Mr Richard Booth's Lady Fra-
grant is highly commended in this class. Sir
Anthony de Rothschild wins in the heifer calf class
with his Isabella Graceful, beating Lord Fever-
sham and Mr Douglas. The judges have been
profuse with commendations on nearly all the short-
horn classes, irrespective altogether of any fashion-
able fancying of nothing but Bates a ad Booth blood,
and no one will question the justice of this liberality.
There are some fine yearling bulls in a remarkably
good class. Among the bull calves Mr Fawkes is
the winner, with his little Marquis, an animal of
great size for its age, and of a good red colour, but
not of great substance or expanded frame, and not
with a first-rate coat. Mr Booth's second prize calf
is much admired, and Lord Braybrooke and Mr Har-
ret show some very forward and pretty animals in
this class. Of the aged and two-year•old bulls we
spoke yesterday.

The show of agricultural horses is small, but Mr
Cottingham's Talbot, Mr Boby's Conqueror, and Mr
Giles's Ploughboy, are prime specimens of the Suf-
folk% The Clydesdales are a small show, but there
are some exceedingly fine horses, and two or three
good mares and foals. The hunters make a good
show, but nothing like what we have seen on for-
mer occasions.

The sheep show is remarkable for the grand dis.
play of Shropshires. Here Mr Thornton, Mr Hol-
land, 'll4dr Henry Smith, Mr Cozon, Mr Simpson, Mr
Bowen, and Mr Crane support the high position of
this very valuable breed.
What mechanical novelties may be concealed
among the " extensive assortments" of implements
of the 235 exhibitors, some single stands being over
200 ft in length, it is impossible for a brief report to
say. We can merely name a few. Messrs Clayton
and Shuttleworth have a new traction engine
coursing about the yard. Messrs Tuxford show
another traction engine, fitted with grooved riggers
for steam cultivation, and an application of
Appold's centritugal pump for draining low
lands. Messrs Rushton and Procter have a
new form of straw elevator. Mr Whitehead
exhibits in action a solid and perforated brick
machine, pugging the clay and squeezing out the
bricks at the rate of 10,000 a day. Mr James
Coultas, jun., has contrived that valuable aid to the
turnip fttmer, an efficient drop drill. On Mr Cran-
ston's stand is a new haymaker, an American
" notion," in which a series of forks are actuated by
separate cranks, instead of being affixed to a re-
volving frame. Mr Wood has a new self-raking,
aide delivery reaping machine, with rake sweeping
the platform independently of the reel. Messrs.
Hornsby have brought out a new swathe-delivery
reaper, and another reaper with " grated, drop-sheaf
apparatus." Messrs. Barrett, Ezell, and Co. show
a novelty in thrashing machines, the movements
being all rotary. Messrs. Burgess and Key have
introduced a very clever piece of mechanism into
M'Cormick's sheaf-delivery reaper, simplifying and
improving the action. Messrs. Peters exhibit a
steam hoist or crane, raising weights by me
a single piston, without _winding barrel, break
wheel, or any intermediate gearing. l‘lessrs. Amies
and Barford have attached a fan an a:3B of
ka
blast pipe to
an ordinary chaff-cutting engine, blowing the chaff
especially
Messrs. Ashby exhibit
to any required distance.
harrows,
revolving harrows, which
more
;Pa= " on purely scientific
pnlve:ilsre
Ktheeisseoyils
effectually than the ordinarY
awnh hauleden
Americas
V-shapedn
principles."
Yesterday the society's consulting engineer, Mr.
Amos,
was engaged in testing the comparative
pover and
mechanical efficiency of the various
enin cultivators by means of some very ingenious
dynemometers, applied to ascertain the draught of
Ithe implements, the tension of the hauling and fol-
lowing ropes' Sze,' And the results ara expected to