The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-25 00:00:00

THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL

SOCIETY.
MEETING AT SOUTHAMPTON.
SOUTHAMPTON, WEDNESDAY, JULY 24.—The show, with
all its concomitants of business and pleasure, hurry and
racketting, heat and smother, is progressing. Southampton
was full 3'esterday—is fuller to-day ; and the crowd here al-
ready, although great, is a trifle to what is expected to-
morrow. Every householder has turned a lodging house-
keeper for the nonce, although—except in the matter of
charging—they do not seem very au fait to their extempore
vocation. Indeed, so outrageous have been the demands that
a great many people
have been fairly frightened away and
taken refuge in the neighbouring villages—most of which are
crowded.

The Duke of Cambridge arrived at nine by the regular
extra train—if the expression be not a bull. His arrival was
announced by a royal salute from the battery. His Royal
Highness was received by the Mayor, Colonel Henderson,
but not officially by the Corporation, as was originally pro-
posed, in consequence of a wish being expressed that the
formality of a regular civic reception might be avoided. The
Duke proceeded to breakfast with Colonel Henderson, and
afterwards visited the implement yard, round which he was
attended by the stewards.
The judges of the live stock are now busily employed in
making their award. The most scrupulous silence has, of
course, been preserved as to its results, which will be an-
nounced to-day at the council dinner. No one, of course,
except the judges has as yet been able to penetrate the in-
tralia of the cattle yard ; but, from the appearance of the
stock as they were being transported thither, the knowing
in these matters prophecy a great display of short horns,
long_ horns, South Downs, Leicesters, &c.
NVe have just returned from a second view of the implement
yard. There are a greater number of visitors there than
yesterday, but not near so many as are expected to-morrow.
llost of them appeared to be practical men—substantial,
top-booted, square-built farmers, who lounged from tent to
tent, and machine to machine, attentively examining the
implements; approving of some, wondering at others, and in
some cases shaking their heads despondingly, before complex
and abstruse-looking instruments, full of wheels, and hooks,
and levers, and all manner of formidable-looking mechanism ;
and saying, as clearly as looks can say anything, " This is far
too clever for me." However, we do not mean to say that
this was the general feeling apparent. A number of gentle-
men—evidently practical farmers—examined the implements
with care and intelligence, criticised their different parts and
probable performances with that acuteness and confidence
which showed how thoroughly their various excellences were
understood and appreciated. The exhibitors were, in many
instances, present, working and explaining their machines.
A considerable number of ladies were also present, adding
life and variety to the appearance of the cnticising groups,
clustered in lines along the columns of machines. On the
outside of the show ground a considerable number of imple-
ments were at work, surrounded by groups of admirers or
depreciatory, as the case might be. There were clod-breakers,
drain-tile makers, scarifiers, and all manner of novelties, hard
at work.
of booths for the dispensation of creature
A perfect city
comforts, and boasting all manner of pompous titles, has
sprung up round the fenced-in yard, like suburbs round a
walled town. There are eating booths, drinking-booths,
gaywith coloured lamps—at least they will
comes on—and caravans and tents in which
dancing
-booths,
tut number are hourly exhibited. To give
you some idea of the charges at which the good folks here
exhibit their hospitality, we may mention that in one of the
common canvas-roofed booths surrounding the exhibition
ground, a plate of chicken and ham is marked up and dis-
pensed there for the moderate sum of six shillings ! The
owner of the ground at Portswood must be making some-
thing comfortable—at 2s. 6d. per foot of frontage, and an
additional sum for extension beyond a certain point in the
rear, is paid by the booth erectors. A pretty constant
stream of omnibuses, coaches, cars, and cabs, some of them
of most primitive construction, is kept up between South-
ampton and the ground. The road is hilly—the heat and
dust almost unbearable, and whoever may have cause to
bless the Southampton show, certainly the unfortunate
horses have not.
A number of the London police are here—many of them
in plain clothes, and the precaution is necessary, as
the inspector stated that a number of very suspicious
characters are about, who have left town in the exercise of
their vocation. We have not, however, heard of any depre-
committed, with the exception of the temporary
horse and cart—rather unwieldy, not to say
da
ba tdi
no tic
iboeni nogf a
dangerous, booty—and which was recovered by the exertions
of the police.
While we are writing, the trains from London continue to
pour in additional visitors. There were two extra trains
this morning, each of which performed the distance within
the two hours. The Duke of Cambridge arrived by one of
them, expressed his satisfaction to Mr. Gunnell, the superin-
tendent here, at the speed at which he had travelled, adding,
that he had never performed a railway journey of a similar
length so easily or so pleasantly in his life. Three extra
trains are expected this evening, and to-morrow a great
number will be dispatched.
One of the features in the proceedings of to-day will he
the meeting of the Cirencester Agricultural College.
The authorities of several of the neighbouring towns—
Wincliester,_ Newport, Gosport, &c., have issueti Addresses