The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-22 00:00:00

EAST CUMBERLAND AGRICULTURAL SHOW.

The 'annual exhibition of stock and agricultural
implements in connexion with this society was held
on Thursday afternoon on the Castle-green, Car-
lisle. In point of numbers the exhibition, as com-
pared with previous shows, was certainly deficient,
but what was wanting in quantity was more than
counterbalanced by the superior quality of the stock
displayed. The implements comprised some very
interesting and even novel specimens of ingenuity, the
invention and workmanship of persons residing in
the neighbourhood of Carlisle. There were other ar-
ticles from a distance which claimed more or less at-
tention according to their respective merits, among
which was the wonderful, but every one says simple
and effective, American reaping machine.
In the afternoon 160 persons sat down to dinner
at the Bush Hotel. Sir J. Graham, Bart., M.P.,
presided, and the vice-chair was occupied by Mr.
W. N. Hodgson, M.P. The president was sup-
ported right and left by the Hon. Charles Howard,
M.P.; Mr. P. H. Howard, M.P., Sir R. Throck-
morton, Bart., Mr. R. Tnrockmorton, &c.
The "health of the Queen" having been received
with th '"sto►r honours.

of Prince
the Royal
the health
Lt referring
joyment,
gentlemen
triumph of
of All Na-
it admit to

y- .r as not over-
sanguine with respect to the success of this great un-
dertaking, but the illustrious Prince whose health
now stands foremost on the list never despaired of its
successful accomplishment (though not a native of
Britain himself) when he placed reliance upon the
industry, the energy, and spirit of my fellow-country-
men.—(Loud cheers.) He felt confident that, stand-
ing in the foremost rank, he had only to appeal to
the people of this country to make a grand display of
their native industry and art, and rival all the nations
of the world in merit and magnificence.; Signal
success has marked the confidence of this Prince. It
was an undertaking that could not succeed by any
effort of the Government—it has succeeded entirely
by the support and contributions of the people of this
country—no forced effort, but a voluntary effort.-
-(Loud cheers.) With the Prince at the head of
the undertaking, be it observed that a person in a com-
paratively humble sphere was the great inventor of
this beautiful edifice; and without the talent and
wonderful ingenuity which he brought to bear upon
the subject the undertaking itself would have been a
failure.—(Hear.) Of course I allude to Mr. Paxton
—and of all the wonders of this wonderful exhibition
none can be regarded with so much astonishment as
the erection of the edifice in six short winter months
by one manufacturing company in the town of Bir-
mingham.—(Loud cheers.) It has been a noble
triumph to the Prince, a great example to his son ;
and that Prince is training the future Sovereign of
the people in the way he should go, in teaching him
to place reliance on British energy and British spirit.
After several other toasts had been drunk,

The CHAIRMAN gave " Success to the East Cum•
Berland Agricultural Society," and in doing so said—
I have heard with some regret that it was fancied in
some quarters that all the good societies of this nature
could achieve had already been accomplished in Cum-
berland.—(Laughter and cheers.) I dissent from
that idea altogether.—(Hear, hear.) lam decidedly
of opinion that meetings of this kind, proceeding in a
generous spirit of competition and friendly emulation,
contribute to the progress of agriculture in an eminent
degree.—(Hear.) I should have said so, even if I
had not attended or presided over such meetings,
from my general observation of the operation of in-
stitutions of this kind ; but it was only necessary,
to attend to what we saw yesterday, so nearly con-
nected with the subject of the present meeting—more
especially was it only necessary to be in the Castle-
yard this morning, to force one at once to the conclu-
sion that these societies have a most salutary effect.—
(Cheers.) Mr. Howard has alluded to the reaping
machine, which I dare say most of you saw in opera-
tion on Wednesday. Among the many advantages to
be derived from the Great Exhibition, I know none
that will contribute more to general improvement in
every branch of agriculture than the display of these
new and improved implements.—(Hear, hear.) From
what I saw yesterday I should say that the reaping
machine is susceptible of improvement, and yet is un-
doubtedly an instrument of great promise.—(Cheers.)
I doubt not that the present thrashing machine was
subject to as much adverse comment when first intro-
duced, and yet see how universally it is now applied. It
is true it was made on the other side of the Atlantic,
and for that very reason I think it is entitled to espe-
cial attention in England It is the work of those
whom I regard as distant brothers employed in the
same occupation, and contending who shall bear off
the palm of success. This is, the rivalry which. I
should wish to see between the two nations.—(hear,
hear.) We are brethren by nature and brethren in
our love of iadependence end free institutions. Their
institutions stand upon the same bases as our own,
and any suggestions coming from that quarter are
entitled to our respect and consideration.—(Hear,
bear.) I think that the experiment of yester-
day was a very severe trial to the machine. In the
first place, the crop upon which the cutter was em-
ployed was not such a crop as would lead me to sup-
pose that the Agricultural Society of East Cumber-
land had done all for the benefit of the agriculture of
the neighbourhood.—(" Hear, hear," and laughter.)
In the next place, it was not one f the cleanest of
crops ; it was certainly not one of the richest of crops,
and, judging from the appearance of the soil, it struck
me that it was very much exhausted.—(Hear.) If
we look at it as exhibited in the second field, we find
it operating upon ground in still worse condition
than the other from recent alterations. It was full
of stones and old hedges whose roots had not been
eradicated. This was the land set aside upon which
to test the power of the machine, but after all its
working was not unsatisfactory.— (Hear.) I think
there are imperfections in that machine, and no doubt
the skill of the English, their knowledge of mecha-
nical science, and never-failing industry in improv-
ing every invention, whether native or foreign, will
overcome these difficulties.—(Cheers.) I think,
upon the whole, the cutting of the machine was
clean and excellent.—(Hear, hear.) I do not think
the mode of delivering the sheaf satisfactory ; and I
should be glad to see some device for superseding the
raker, the second man, and I do not despair.—(Hear.)
Notwithstanding these what I call imperfections, I
think, upon the whole, it is a very useful implement
—I think it is a very promising implement, and I am
glad I had an opportunity of attending and seeing it at
work.—(Hear.) After expressing his opinion that
there was a tendency in the county of Cumberland
to plough too much and to graze too little, and that
the rearing of sheep was the keystone to further im-
provement in the district, the climate of which was
much more favourable to the growth of green crops
and gross than of grain, the Right Hon. Baronet
proceeded :—" Let me remind you that in Great
Britain we are in a very artificial state. These little
islands are densely inhabited, and no less than
100,000,000/. is embarked in the four textile fabrics,
cotton, silk, wool, and flax. Two of these raw ma-
terials are beyond our reach. Cotton and silk we
cannot produce ; but we can produce wool, and we
can produce flax, and I say it is worthy the consider-
ation of the agriculturists of this country to adapt
their land to the growing wants of the community in
which we live, and to place our country, as far as in
us lies, in the situation of not being exclusively de-
pendent for the supply of such raw materials as wool
and flax; not exclusively, I say.—(Hear, hear.) Ob-
serve well, no article has gone on so steadily ad-
vancing
farmer s ino wprice atsh
ewsohoalp;e
onfo
rarticle
ahsa s paidwool,
andth e
the sheep which produce the wool are, in my opinion,
under proper management, the keystone of the im-
proved cultivation of the soil. But, observe further,
subject if you have the smaller quantity of land under cul-
tivation, producing with that smaller quantity a
larger amount of produce, the saving is immense
in the wages of labour and the cost of production, and
in everything which bears on the profits on the out-
lay of capital in cultivation. 1 say, therefore, farm
highly the small quantity of land you have under the
plough—encourage the growth of grabs laid down on
the
nbest
your
order landeoefp, an
dwienl
increase
rcelaesaen
the
e—add quantityto theofnum-
ber
your
rebhomeenaagrbn.
other
bp
frnlo
rt
or
nai
haw
crpoitresll lihdaeltriUinnreegn
material—namelytt
the
eniidgp reßea
great
tfli
wool.—(Hear,
oafr on
butax,
in-
crease have
in
the
linen-thread, that you may increase the cultivation of
flax in this country on second-rate soils with the ut-
most advantage to the grower and to the country it-
self. This matter is in its infancy, mad it is the duty
of landlords rather than tenants to lead the way in the
experiments to be made.—(Cheers.) I know, for a
certainty, that flax of the finest quality may be grown
in this county, even on inferior land. When a very
young man, I remember almost on every farm a small
quantity of flax was raised for domestic use. It was
a growth quite familiar to the farmers in this county
d to that 14Lit?d extent was succppiN! Cir-

with the customary honours,
The CHAIRMAN, in prosing " the health
Albert, the Prince,,of Wales, and the rest of
said-rleis imposssle to propose
)f PrinceyAlbert pre ent year without
to tb,airivhich h4.bou the source off enji
have no doubt, tni-a.igreat nutither-of the
preseiool,_ fillu,lo, of oourse;-to the grelt tt
the age ";ihr.imicitip fi, f•• y c
tions,V e:rs. must
yon that I was one o t ose who at first was