The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-07 00:00:00

TO COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS,

WANTED immediately a COMMISSION
TRAVELLER, having such a connexion with first-rate
Drapery in the West of England as will enable to extend the sale of
best Irish Linens and superior Damask Table Linen, &c. Applicants
to state by letter the periods of their journeys, with the names of the
towns they visit, also the names of the parties they now represent.
One who has sane experience in the Linen trade would be preferred.
Terms liberal.
Apply to Michael Andrews, Ardoyne, Belfast.

ANNUAL MEETING of the HIGH-
LAND AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF
SCOTLAND.
INVERNESS, SEPT. I.—The members of the Highland
and Agricultural Society of Scotland, having resolved to
hold their fifty-third annual general meeting and show
at Inverness, on the Ist, 2d, and 3d of September cur-
rent, arrangements were made by the local authorities,
in co-operation with the society's committee of manage-
ment, for rendering the demonstration in every respect
worthy the important occasion. The spacious grounds
of the Academy Park were set aside for the show of im-
plements and stock, while a splendid pavilion was
erected for the dinner party, capable of dining from
1,800 to 2,000 persons.
The great influx of strangers during the fine weather
of the last two weeks, more especially during the fes-
tivities of the northern meetings, had made accommoda-
tion in the hotels scarce enough and dear enough before
to• day; but when the Duke of Richmond's steamer
arrived in the afternoon with some eighty or a hundred
passengers, many of them from England, every acces-
sible place where one could get either bed or board was
at once taken up, the charges being from five shillings to
a guinea a night for a sleeping room, even a couch or a
sofa; and for eatables at least four times the amount for
which, in ordinary circumstances, one might either lunch
or dine. The only commodities that might truly be
called cheap were hare soup and Highland whisky, which
seems to imply that the good people in these northern
regions have practically abolished the excise and game-
laws,
and that in shooting of hares and brewing of Ferin-
tosh they do ample justice to the more elastic principles
of free trade.
The business arrangements were these :—Tuesday (to-
day), a public breakfast at half-past eight o'clook, under
the direction of the Agricultural Chemistry Association,
the subjects of discussion being the use of prepared food
in feeding stock, and the mode of improving hiil pastures,
and hill land generally; the exhibition of implements
and machines, dairy produce, seed roots and plants; a
dinner of the committee and members, and a lecture in
the evening by Mr. Smith, of Deanston, on thorough
draining. Wednesday—the general show of cattle,
horses, sheep, swine, poultry, and the whole of the arti-
cles exhibited on Tuesday, to conclude by a public din-
ner in the pavilion. On Thursday a public breakfast,
when the uses and value of artificial manures will be
discussed; and the whole will conclude by a sale of stock.
The breakfast this morning was given in the Northern
Meeting-rooms, J. B. Fraser, Esq., of Reilig, in the
chair. Amongst those present we observed James
Matheson, Esq., M.P., Professor Johnston; Mr. Horne,
of Longwell; Mr. David Milne, of Gradden; A. Mathew-
son, Esq., of Ardross; Colonel Mathewson; Major
Campbell, younger, of Oraigie; Mr. Ainslie, commis-
sioner of the Earl of Moray; Mr. Brodie, of Lethen;
Mr. Wallace, of Kelley (late M.P. for Greenock); Col.
Mackintosh; Mr. Smith, of Deanston, &c.
The CHAIRMAN, after remarking on the importance of
the topics to be discussed, introduced
Professor JOHNSTON, who congratulated the members
on having assembled in a district of Scotland where
agricultural science had been carried to a higher state of
perfection than in any other ; and where improvements
of a yet more important character were now to be car-
ried out by Mr. Matheson, the proprietor of the island
of Lewis, under the able direction of Mr. Smith, of
Deanston ; the question as to the best food for cattle,
and the best mode of supplying it, was one of vital in-
terest, seeing that they had now to depend so much on
the produce of stock, and had opened up for them, by
the facilities of steam conveyance, the advantages of the
London market. The learned Professor then went into
an analysis of the food generally used for feeding cattle;
and, in the course of an able and instructive lecture,
showed that though much had been done, much yet re-
mained to be done before they could produce the finest
qualities of meat at the minimum cost of production.
Some conversation followed, in which Mr. Smith, of
Deanston, took part, and spoke briefly on the same
question. The meeting seemed surprised at a remark by
Professor Johnston, to the effect that the cattle feeders
of England, as had been shown by the exhibition of im-
plements for preparing food for cattle, at the late show
at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, were making more rapid pro-
gress in this department of agricultural science than the
breeders of stock in Scotland.
The show of implements in the yard was a poor one.
There were a few new inventions exhibited, the most
novel and important of which was a plough for digging
potatoes; but the universal destruction of the esculent
detracted from the interest which this ingenious machine
would otherwise have excited, and hence it was passed
over with but little remark. There was one feature in
this exhibition of a peculiar and novel character; the ex-
hibition of two ploughs, or rather a plough and a spade,
used by the ancient Caledonians, side by side with some
of the finest specimens of our modern inventions for the
tillage of the ground; the rude stock and half-forged
grubber contrasted oddly, but most instructively, with
the finely-moulded plough, polished stock, and sword-
like coulter of the present day.
The dairy produce exhibited was not of great attrac-
tion. In this department of husbandry the Highland
Society yields the palm to the Royal Agricultural
Society of England. A circumstance of considerable
importance to the dairyist, as well as to every one
who can appreciate mellow butter and good cheese,
occurred at this show to-day. A gentleman ap-
plied for permission to enter some milk pans,
manufactured by Mr. Rice Harris of Birming-
ham, on a principle which, while it possesses
the singular advantage of preserving milk in process of
creaming from the destructive effects of electricity, at
the same time shows the remarkable quality of inducing
the milk to generate, and throw up to the surface a rich
cream, and in larger quantity than can be induced by
any other kind of pan yet made. The pans, which are
called " The registered compressed milk pans," it seems
were first tried in comparison with wedgeware and
brown ware, when a difference appeared in favour of the
compressed glass of thirty per cent. Mr. Percy, the
dairy chemist of the Royal Agricultural Society of Eng-
land, then made a series of experiments, the results of
' which were thus stated:—
ANALYSIS OF THE CREAM or FOUR PRIALS.--SADIE
SULK.
Compressed Blown Wedg- Brown-
Glass. Glass. ware. ware.
No. 1. No. 2. No. 3. No. 4.
Water M•62 7191 73.86 64.79
Butter 35.04 21'31 18'88 27'94
Solid residue 664 6'78 7.26 7'27

100'00 100'00

100.00 100'00

Struck with the remarkable results, Mr. Percy was
led to try other experiments which hare proved equally
satisfactory. The application for entry was too late,
but the subject was considered to be of so much im-
portance that means were to be adopted for getting the
whole subject fully discussed. There was an excellent
show of seeds and plants, of native pines and bulbous
roots, grasses and potatoes. Prizes were awarded for
the best of each. In this class were conspicuous collec-
tions of native and foreign pines, and forest trees in
general, from the nurseries of Messrs. Peter Lawson
and Son, the society's seedmcn, Edinburgh, and of
Messrs. John Grigor and Co., Forres Nurseries. The
latter collection attracted universal attention, and of it
we may specify Cedi us deodara, Pinus excelsa, P. Ge-
rardiana,obies, Smithiana, &c.; also specimen branches
with cones, brought from the Himalayan mountains,
illustrative of the various kinds of seedlings shown.
The first premium was awarded to Messrs. John Grigor
and Co. .

At six o'clock this evening, the members dined in the
Northern Rooms, Mr. M'Pherson Grant, of Ballen-
dalloch, in the chair. The discussion and conversation
at the dinner were of a private character, for what
reason does not very clearly appear.
At half-past eight, Mr. Smith, of Deanston, delivered
his lecture on thorough draining, and was listened to
throughout by a most numerous and attentive audience.
Some conversation followed on the general question, the
great bone of contention still being whether the deep, or
the comparatively shallow drain be the best; the impres-
sion evidently was that both are necessary, and that
local circumstances must determine in each case which
should be adopted.
Amongst the noblemen and gentlemen present at the
show, were the Duke of Montrose, president of the
Society; the Duke of Manchester, the Earl of Cawdor,
Sir James Mackenzie, Bart., of Scatwell; Sir J. Drum-
mond, of Ilawthornden ; Sir Archibald M'Donald,
Major Cumming Bruce, M.P., Captain Cumming, Sir
W. Cumming, the Mackintosh, the Chisholm, Mr.
Brodie, of Lethen ; Colonel Baillie, M.P.