The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-18 00:00:00

ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

BURY ST. EDMUNDS, Tuesday.
The society continues to work steadily on in all
departments of its varied operations. The trials of
portable engines are still not fully completed, but
the trials of fixed engines are finished. As regards
the latter the six competitors were Messrs. Tuxford
and Son, the Reading,lronworks Company, Messrs.
Clayton, Shuttleworth, and Co., Mr. J. J. Rawlings,
Mr. ',II. Kinsey, and Messrs. Deacon and Wood.
With an allowance of 141. of coal for each nominal
horse power, and with steam at a pressure of 801 b.
per square inch, Clayton and Shuttleworth's engines
ran 3 hours 9 min. ; Tuxford and Son's, 2 hours 22
min.; and the Reading Company's, 2 hours 261
win. All the double-cylinder portable engines have
now concluded their first trial. Messrs. Clayton
and Shuttleworth's 15-horse power engine ran four
hours 421 minutes ; Messrs. Ransomes and S ms'
15-horse power engine, three hours 43 minutes ; and
Messrs. Tuxford and Son's 14-horse power engine,
three hours 181 minutes. Fourteen of the sing,le-
cylinder engines have now been tried a first time,
and six, more were to be tested yesterday. The
programme this year provides that each portable
engine shall be run a second time with theresistance
of the brake increased 50 per cent. ; but the trials
have thus far proceeded so slowly that the stewards
have put it to the exhibitors whether the first trial
should be deemed decisive or not, or whether the
second trial should be postponed for some other
time and place. It was resolved to go on with the
trials, although the effect will,
of course, be to
delay the awards of the prizes.
The horse show is a local one; indeed, of the
whole 260 horses shown, 123 come from Suffolk,
while the adjoining county of Norfolk contributes
also a considerable contingent. There is no re-
flection upon the show for this, as some of the
best horse stock in England, especially as
regards agricultural horses, is produced in Suffolk.
'The Viceroy of Egypt during his visit to the show,
lingered for half an hour by the ring at which the
horses were tested, although it rained heavily all
the time. Among the thoroughbred stallions, Cap-
tain Barlow's False Alarm, and Mr. Donald's
Scottish Chief, which took the first and second
prizes, were especially deserving of notice. False
Alarm received recently the thoroughbred prize at
the Essex Agricultural Society's meeting, but was
passed over a few days later at the Society's meet-
ing, to the surprise of many. He is a very hand-
some " crack," bred by Lord Spencer at Althorp.
Captain Barlow again came out strong in the brood
mare class, with his well-known mare Silverlocks.
In the sheep classes, Lord Walsinghams South-
downs are as elegant, if as small as ever, and
they made an excellent figure in the prize list, a
result not to be wondered at, as his
it
lordship's
steward (Mr. Woods) is reputed an authory
on the breeding and management of sheep. The
long-woolled sheep, formed by a combination of
Lincoln, Leicester, and Cotswold blood, appears to
be becoming larger and larger every
he Ox
year. The
Cotswolds proper make a fine display, and t-
ford Downs (obtained originally by crossing Down
ewes with Cotswold taps) come out strong. The
Shropshire Downs appear to have more of the Down
cut about them than the Oxford Downs. There is
a class or two of black-faced Suffolks, but the breed
does not appear to be.making much progress in the
county. Suffolk, if not very strong in sheep, has
acquired a certain reputation in pig breeding, the
tar
exertions of Messrs. Stearn, Sexton, and Crisp
havingevert h
ebleeessn, •
theymost h
a vhave
successfulhee been
enincoutnliis erepdla
by particular.
Mr.
NDuckering, of Lincolnshire (who has of late ob-
tained a large measure of success), Messrs. Howard,
of Bedford, and others. Suffolk formerly possessed
only a breed of white pigs, but it has gradually esta-
blished a black breed, which now enjoys a deserved
reputation.
The show of poultry is large, and represents
almost every district in the kingdom.
The Royal Horticultural Society has commenced
to-day an exhibition of great beauty and merit,
near the interesting Botanic Garden, maintained
by the elite of Bury, amid the ruins of the great
Abbey of St. Edmund. In one circular teat there
was a magnificent collection of exotic and other
plants arranged with great taste. In an adjoining
tent, of considerable length, there was a more mis-
cellaneous collection of flowers and fruits, presenting
everything calculated to gratify and enchant the
senses. This exhibition, which will be continued till
Friday, comprises groups of foliage and flower.ing
plants, fuschias, stove or greenhouse plants, pine-
lycopods pot
apples, orchids, nativeand exotic ferns,. ,
es ptcotees, pelar-
vines, cut roses, bunches of grap ,
goniums, bedding plants, garden plants, heaths,
palms, gloxinias, petunias,verbenas,delphiniums,pea_
stemons, peaches, nectarines, apricots, figs, cherries,
strawberries, melons, and garden products of every
description, to say nothing of horticultural imple-
ments. The wind was so boisterous this morning
that one of the tents was partially upset, and some
valuable cacti were damaged in consequence. The
weather generally to-day has been of a chequered
character, more rain falling this afternoon.