The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-07 00:00:00

the class at Newcastle ; one of the most interesting
classes is that of Hereford bulls and cows, with their
offspring ; and in still greater force are the classes
for pairs of Hereford heifers.

TUESDAY.

Though the field trials of implements were cora-
menced to-day, the main interest has been still in the
live stock department of the yard. The cattle we
have already reviewed. In the sheep classes we find
some prime Leicesters, the great prize-winner being
Mr. Joseph Gould. The Cotswold are in good force,
Mr. Gillett taking first and second prizes for year-
ling rams and Mr. C. Kearsey taking first prize for
an aged ram—the noblest long-wool sheep in the
yard. Mr. Lynn and Mr. Radmore win the honours
for the other long-wool breeds. The judges were
Messrs. J. Clarke and T. Stamper. There is a small
show of Southdowns ; Mr. Farquharson, the Earl of
Radnor, and Mr. Grenville taking the prizes. The
judges were Messrs. H. Woods andH. Mayo. There
is a capital show of the valuable Shropshire downs,
the best pens being those of Lady Willoughby de
Broke ; the judges of this breed were Messrs. Bowen
and Cureton. The Somerset and Dorset sheep, with
their heavy curling horns, attract much attention; a
valuable breed for their prolific production of very
early lambs. The Ryeland sheep make a famous
show. They are indigenous to a tract of sandy soil
in Herefordshire and on the border of Wales, some
authorities attributing them to a Phoenician impor-
tation of merinos, a breed which they resemble for
the fineness of their fleece. They have no horns, but
are distinguished by a tuft of wool upon the forehead
They have white faces and legs, a round compact
body, and moderate size, and are noted for fattening
readily and for the delicate quality of their flesh.
Mr. J. B. Downing is the chief prize winner with
this breed on the present occasion.
The horses make a very inferior show ; not half a
dozen good ones to be found out of the whole 74,
and the judges of Hunters, Capt. Barlow and Mr.
Thurnall, as well as the judges of cart horses,
Messrs. Howard and Besley, had an easy task to
perform in settling relative merits where nothing
was first rate. Mr. W. Thorn's first prize cart stal-
lion Black Prince has won several local prizes, but is
by no means superlatively handsome ; and Mr.
Hyde's second-prize horse in the same class beat
Messrs. Jas. and Frederick Howard's Clydesdale,
because somewhat more powerful. Mr. Fowler's
first prize cart mare has some merit ; but beyond
these the classes are distinguished by want of sub-
stance and character. The thoroughbred stallions
are a very inferior lot, and little better can be said
of the mares and foals. Among the mares or geld-
ings foaled in 1861, Mr. Percy's first prize brown
gelding is a good one ; and Mr. White's first prize
bay gelding, foaled in 1861, is something like the
right sort, though rather leggy. Sir Chas. Boughton's
pony, too, is remarkably pretty ; but besides these
and one or two colts in the local classes, there is
nothing worthy of special mention. Horeflesh sadly
needs improvement in the West of England, or else
some greater inducement must be held out to pre-
vent breeders from'again sending up such a weedy
assortment for the plough, the cart, or the saddle.
Of agricultural products there is a creditable dis-
play, including fleeces of long lustrous wool, of the
fine Ryland wool, and of Shropshire wool; and
also a small competition in Herefordshire hops.
We have also an interesting competition of our
English vintage—for what are the brisk and grate-
ful beverages of the West, the perry and " fox-
whelp" cider, but Pomona's wine, cheaper than
ale, and quite as refreshing as the French peasant's
vin that is so very ordinaire?
There have been many visitors to-day to the fine-
arts department. In fact, the picture-gallery and
the Art Union lottery in connexion with it are so
popular as to be worth a thousand a year to the so-
ciety's funds ever since the first exhibition at Barn-
staple in 1857. Last year, at Bristol, 40,000 persons
passed through the gallery in one day. The gallery,
100 ft. in length, with every suitable adaptation for
preserving the works of art from injuries of weather,
and an admirable arrangement and lighting, con-
tains about 400 oil and water-colour paintings, most
of them by living artists, and some of a high order
of merit. The society has depots in the ten princi-
pal towns in its district, and also in London, where
the pictures are conveyed to the show and back
again free of cost to the exhibitors ; and this liberal
encouragement of artists, byproviding such a ready
opportunity for the display of their works on sale,
is producing very satisfactory effects, more particu-
larly in bringing into public favour pencils that
would otherwise have remained unknown. There
are several crack pictures present, such as Hopkin's
" Low-backed Car," a sporting scene and a battle
scene toy A. cooper, ILA., Tidey's " Darthuia,"
Lucy's " The Man of Ross," and others: Among
the works worthy of special mention are landscapes
by John Syers, by W. H. Cublay, and by Sydney
Hodges, the Arts Curator to the society, who has
just finished a portrait of the Bishop of Exeter for
Miss Burdett Coutts.

The art-manufactures department is tolerably well
filled; though, unfortunately, the firms most cele-
brated in ceramic art are now exhibiting at Dublin.
Still the collection includes a series of carvings in
wood and marble, marqueterie, woven fabrics, gold-
smith's work, fancy horological instruments, ma-
jolica, oriental porcelain, with a number of repro-
ductions from continental museums, and some splen-
did and valuable works from the South Kensington
Museum.

The main feature here is the display of Honiton
lace ; consisting of exquisite specimens, stitched
upon black velvet and framed and glazed—finely-
worked designs of fruit, flowers, leaves, insects,
scrolls, and arabesques, giving grace and beauty to
all sorts of airy delicate adornments which are the
charming finish of female attire. Those who have
studied the history of lace, from the " fine-twined
linen and curious needlework" in the tabernacle of
Moses and on the hem of the priest's ephod, the
'• nets of checker-work" in Solomon's Temple, the
veils and " cauls" of Homer's goddesses, the lace on
Egyptian monuments and in Scandinavian barrows,
down through the mefflaaval ages when the nuns
worked the gossamer fabrics to the culminating ex-
travagances of frill and ruffle under good Queen Bess,
and those who an admire the infinite variety of beauty
in the three kinds of lace, " point" made with the
needle, " pillow" woven upon pins on a cushion, and
imitative machine-lace wrought in looms, will under-
stand how specially attractive to the lady visitors are
these samples of Devonshire industry. The Society
has done well to encourage a branch of manufacture
which employs about 10,000 women ; one special aim
being to provide occupation in designing for respec-
table and educated women in needy circumstances.
But a much greater result is likely to flow from the
stimulus given by this competitive exhibition. It is
only by improvement in designing after nature, and
by diligent attention to the quality of their fabric,
that the artists of threads and bobbins can hold
their ground against the skilful workers of
France and Belgium ; yet the Honiton lace
people, forgetting that their market is due to their
surpassing machine-work for unique effects in
pattern as well as for durability in the fabric itself,
are actually lowering the artistic standard of excel-
lence in their lace. And the Society's efforts are
directing greater attention to this matter of design-
ing, as well as to the social condition of the workers.
Thus, the lace shown at Bristol last year afterwards
formed a display in the South Kensington Museum,
and by royal command was submitted to the inspec-
tion of her Majesty. A robe, specially ordered, of
a beautiful honeysuckle pattern, has been manufac-
tured for the Queen—employing 30 people all the
winter at Honiton and Sidmouth ; and these hands
were paid in cash, instead of wholly or partially on
the prevalent truck system. This robe, valued at
330 guineas, cost price, is now, by her Majesty's
permission, a centre of interest in the fine arts pavi-
lion at Hereford.

The horticultural exhibition is not quite so exte n-
aive and various as at Bristol last year, but owing
to the contributions of Mr. C. Turner of Slough, Mr.
Cranston of Hereford, Mr. Trusted of Hereford,
Mr. G. Clive, M.P., Mr. Arkwright, Mr. Symons,
the Rev. A. Clive, and the Mayor of Hereford, we
find some of the finest geraniums and roses in the
world, with a specially grand show of foliage plants,
caladmms, and ferns. The tent is the very best we
ever saw for protecting flowers, while affording a
perfect ventilation, and a due ingress of light with-
out overheating even on a fervid summer's day, and

WIWI