The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-11 00:00:00

THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SO-
CIETY'S MEETING AT LEEDS.

LEEDS, WEDNESDAY.
The implement yard on the Kirkstall-road this
morning presented a busy and animated appearance,
the exhibitors having been engaged from au early
hour in preparing for the judges. The entries in
this department of the show far exceed anything in
the history of the society, and the implements col-
lected together include every invention of recent
years, the object of which is to facilitate agricul-
tural operations, and to render the results of farming
more profitable and more productive. The great
implement makers are well represented, there being
no fewer than 358 stands, and the entries amount-
ing to the unprecedentedly large number of 5,488.
The whole of the exhibitors were expected to have
their implements ready for inspection this morning,
but owing to unavoidable delays, the day had far
advanced before the judges commenced their
onerous duties, which are expected, from the severe
competition, to occupy them until Saturday next.
The gentlemen who have been selected for this
he r y
m a
ka
machines, Mr.
position are :—For drills, Bze. ; Mr. Druce, Mr.
John
hung Thompson,haT.lrleuaspkeirnss,oB:e. ;
n. For
p oMr.
Hicken, Mr. ilipwell, and Mr. Tindall. For carts,
waggons, and miscellaneous articles--Mr. John
Hannan (Secretary of the Y I •zshire •
or Agricultural
Association) and Mr. Renrick.
The judges were engaged during the
morning in
selecting the various implements for trial.
The trial of the steam cultivators on the heavy
land commenced on Tuesday, in a field of about 50
acres at Garforth. The land consisted of about 50
acres of heavy clay soil—rig and furrow—which
had been laid down with clover after barley, and
eaten off with sheep. The land was in what local
agriculturists call a very unkindly condition. The
surface had been trodden during the heavy rains of
spring, and afterwards baked by the hot suns of
May and June, until it was as hard almost as a
macadamised road, and the subsoil was pressed into
a hard tenacious mass, with just sufficient moisture
to make it adhere together in a solid stratum of
clay. A more severe trial could scarcely have taken
place, and looking at the difficultieS to be contended
with, it was not to be wondered at that only the
Messrs. Fowler and the Messrs. Howard appeared
on the field. Land was measured out for these gen-
tlemen, a certain portion to be felled with the
plough, and another portion to be scarified or culti-
vated, and they entered upon the work a little
before noon. Both commenced with the three-
share ploughs, and the former went forward unin-
terruptedly at an average depth of six or eight
inches until about two o'clock, when the second
share came in contact with a tree root, which broke
the standard. This was replaced, lout in the next
turn the first share came in contact with a boulder
two or three stones in weight, and again the
standard snapped, and fears were entertained that
the plough would have to be abandoned. Fortu-
nately, however, no other serious obstruction pre-
sented itself, and the work was continued in a
very satisfactory manner. The Messrs. Howard
were less successful. They began with their
three-share reversible plough, which is not
well adapted for the uneven surfaces occasioned
by the old rig and furrow cultivation, and the
furrows were only scraped. On the crown of the
rigs the shares got well hold and did very fair
work. There was a strong impression, however,
that the implement was not equal to the land,
and about two o'clock, the plough having got a
deeper hold, there was a break down, one of the
standards brealing off close by the framework.
Some idea may be formed of the tenacious cha-
racter of the clay at this point, when we state
that it was literally torn up in huge lumps. After
this break down, Messrs. Howard continued with
the scarifier. The weather was fine, and the work
was watched by a number of intelligent farmers,
who appeared to take great interest in what was
going on. The trials were resumed this morning,
and are expected not to conclude before Friday.i

THE RIDE IN KENSINTON-GARDENS.

An influential deputation, headed by Mr. S.
Harvey Lewis, M.P., and Mr. Robert Hanbury,
11. P., had an interview with Lord Palmerston, at
his residence in Piccadilly, on Tuesday evening, on
the subject of the horse ride in Kensington-
gardens.
Mr. J. H. LEWIS, in introducing the deputation,
said they had no desire to make a demonstration, but
merely to lay before his lordship their objections to
the ride. They had hoped that after the expression
of public opinion last year the ride would be aban-
doned. It was, however, again opened, and was
considered highly objectionable on principle, for
the inhabitants of the vicinity and the metropolis
generally could not have the ease and tranquillity
or enjoy the shade and quiet of the gardens as for-
merly. They came to his lordship because he had
always identified himself with popular measures;
and they earnestly prayed that his lordship would.
take some means to restore the gardens to their for-
mer condition. . . . .

Mr. HORSLEY, A.R.A., read a memorial to his
lordship, signed exclusively by 50 artists, 30 of them
being members of the Royal Academy, expressing
their regret at the introduction of the ride.
Several other members of the deputation having
addressed his lordship,
Lord PALMERSTON said he did not think the
grounds of their case bore out their conclusions.
The deputation assumed that the gardens were
to be shut up; now the enjoyment of those who
frequented them had been increased of late by a wall
being taken down. The principle the deputation
and its supporters adopted seemed to him to be a
monopoly. As for the argument of solitude, it was
a solecism ; they could not have solitude in seclu-
sion, it was not to be had in such a spot. With
regard to the number of signatures in the memo-
rials, of course the people on foot were more
numerous than equestrians ; it was, therefore,
easier to obtain more signatures, but equestrians
were entitled to be considered. There were
plenty of parks and places for the people to walk
in ; the range for them in this metropolis was very
great. If the ride cut across paths, something
might be said. In St. James's-park a bridge was
proposed to be erected across the Mall, which he
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last year was said to be dangerous—this year the
objection raised was that the rural scenery should
not be spoiled. His lordship was much surprised
that artists should object to the introduction of
horses into the scene—the great masters of land-
scape painting liked figures and horses to enliven
theasma
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After some further discussion, in the course of
which a suggestion was made that the piece of
ground, north of Rotten-row and south of the Ser-
pentine, should be given up to the riders, the depu-
tation thanked his lordship for his courteous recep-
tion, and withdrew.