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

Eighteen years ago the society's show-yard occu-
pied samewhat over a dozen acres of its present site.
but now the eye-proof boarding encircles about 45
acres, without wasting at all too m ach 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 horses' ring, or the " first
class refreshments." Bigger than it was, and with
greater facilities and accommodations of a very 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 chcter-
fel flogs. We may borrow an ornamental idea from
the Bath and West of England Society if we can not
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 lac ge
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, fuel
about half the number of sheep. And we have he re
4,000 implements and machines, instead of the 730
shown 18 years ago. The society's funds are me-
doubtedly flourishing ; the average country meetireg
receipts during the last five years (excluding ttee
exceptional Battersea) have amounted to £9,691,
while five years before they averaged £5,177 ; five
years before that they averaged £4,612 ; and five
years earlier still they averaged £4,134. But the so-
ciety has not maintainedits 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 congratu-
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
10s. 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 Dauglas's Maid of Athelstane 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
Atbelstane, beating Mr Lambert's Queen of Beauty
and Mr Stratton's Diadem. Mr Eastwood's ]3armp-
ton Butterfly, of the To wneley -park herd, is not
placed, being evidently out of condition. The yearly
heifers make a large and grani class, Mr East-
wood'a Royal Butterfly Pageant, being third to Mr
Mitchell's Blue Belle, and Mr Folj Aruba'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 Faver-
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 and 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 groat substance or expanded frame, and not
with a first-rate coat. Mr Booth's second prize calf
is much admired, and Lord Bray brnoke and Mr Har-
ret show some very forward and pretty animals in
this class. Of the aged and two-yearaold bulls we
spoke yesterday.

The show of agricultural horses is small, hut Mr
Cottiugham's Talbot, Mr Baby's Cot, queror, and Mr
Giles's Ploughboy, are prime specimens of the Suf-
folks, The Clydesdales are a small show, bat 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, Mr Henry Smith, Mr CoLon, 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

laude. 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 famer, 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,
side 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, Exall, and Co. show
a novelty in thrashing machines, the' movements
being all rotary. Messrs. Burgess and Key have
introduced a vary clever piece of mechanism into
M'Cormick's sheaf-delivery reaper, simplifying and
improving the action. Messrs. Paters exhibit s
steam hoist or crane, raising weights by meunE of
a single piston, without winding barrel, break
wheel, or any intermediate gearing. Messrs. Amied
and Baeord have attached a fan and blast pike to
an ordinary chaff-cutting engine, blowing the cllt,.f.f
to any required distance. Messrs. Ashby exhibit
rrows, especiallv
revolving harrows, which pulverise the boil more
effectually than the ordinary ha
sh
an American V-shaped barrow
when hauled by steam-pow.-r •
"Mr h.elsey ows,
on purely scientific

engineer, Mr.
principles."
in testing the comparative
A mYesterday
etnhgea sgoccdi e t y's consulting
power and mechanical efficiency of the various
applied to ascertain the draught of
steam cultivators by means of some very ingenious
the tension of the hauling and fol-
lowing 6"" and the reeults are er.peoted to
dth3reniaurinezeteeeon:tss„