The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-10-02 00:00:00

THE SHOW

The attendance, not only of gentlemen connected with agri-
culture, but of those connected with other vocations who take
an interest in that most valuable branch of national industry,
was both numerous and respectable. We observed on the
ground Lord Stanley and many gentlemen of landed property,
of the highest respectability ; and were not less gratified to
notice great numbers of our own town community, all of
whom took a warm interest in the examination of the stock,
implements, roots, &c. The arrangements in the yard were
highly creditable to the committee and others who had the
direction of the exhibition. Every animal shown had a fair
stage and no favor; the same chance of competition was given
to all who brought implements ; a shed was erected for the
seeds and roots ; the pens for the sheep and pigs were well
constructed ; and in fine, every particular department or
article was so well defined by bills affixed to poles, and by
tickets, that even those who had not before witnessed an agri-..
cultural show were saved the necessity of making general in-
quiry of those around them.
The stock exhibited on this occasion was not generally as
numerous as on the last anniversary ; but the decrease in
number was fully made up by the primeness of quality,—and
may also be accounted for were it otherwise, from circum-
stances which neither the society nor the producers could
control. In the first place, an epidemic has recently ex-
isted, (as we stated in noticing the last Birkenhead fair,)
amongst the horned cattle in the south, though but slightly
in this county. The circumstance, however, operated to a
certain extent to the determent of some parties to bring up
their stock. Secondly, the fact that the Royal Society will
hold their meeting in this town next year, has induced
others to reserve their stock for that occasion ; and thirdly,
agricultural shows are on the eve of taking place both at
Freston and at Chester,—from both of which towns a con-
siderable number of cattle would otherwise have been brought
up. 'With, however, all these disadvantages the show was
exceedingly gratifying.
The horses were generally admirable; particularly the
stallions, several of which were pictures of strength, size,
and symmetry, which a.sculptor might have studied with
advantage. We never saw more noble animals than the four
first prizes. In horses for agricultural purposes, there were
also some fine limbed, full chested, and so compact as at
once to convey an assurance of almost engine " horse
power." The horses, indeed, exceeded in quality those of
the three past years.
The cows and bulls were, on the whole, equally worthy of
commendation. Of the latter there were some of great size
and tine formation. The whole were in excellent condition,
and afforded an extensive prospect of " beef," that would
have delighted an alderman.
The sheep, though fewer than last year, were decidedly
superior in quality, both in long and short wools. The pens
attracted great attention. -
The show of pigs surpassed that of any former exhibition
of the society. An astonishing improvement has taken place
in the breed of " porkers," and the specimens produced on
this occasion were fairly overborne with fat and firmness.

Those who had tickets to the yard, (after the business of
adjudging the prizes had terminated) were admitted at half-
past twelve o'clock, and such was the anxiety amongst them
that the gate was for some time almost besieged.
A considerable quantity of fine roots and seeds were shown
on this occasion. The greater portion of these were brought
by Mr. Skirving, seedstnan, whose nursery is at Walton, and
who has long been a highly successful competitor at floral and
agricultural shows. He exhibited fine specimens of his own
purple topped Swedish turnip. The bulks were tine, solid,
and firm, and weighed • about 201bs each. We also observed
on his stand a new variety of the yellow tankard turnip ;
also the purple topped bullock mangel wurzel ; and several
very large and beautiful white carrots for field culture. There
was also a fine specimen of the green topped Swede. The
only seeds shown were brought by Mr. Skirving. and we need
hardly say they were examined by those who are judges of
such minute but important matters with scrutinising eyes, and
pronounced to be excellent.
On a stand close by were shown some good specimens of
mange' wurzel, from the grounds of S. Sandbach, Esq., one
of which weighed 22 lbs. Many other specimens, of nearly
equal bulk, and all of them excellent, were from the same
estate.
Mr. William Taylor, of Bootle-cum-Linacre, also showed
some fine specimens of mangel wurzel, and some roots or
bunches of conjoint or " conglomerated" potatoes, weigh-
ing, we should think, from 4to 5 lbs. each. These were, we
learn, of a German sort.
The show of agricultural implements was greater than we
remember on any former occasion, and in several instances
combined much of novelty and ingenuity. No fewer than
six distinct machines were brought by Mr. Richmond, of
Salford (Manchester). The whole of these were much ad-
mired. One was a grass-spreading machine, which if drawn
by a horse over a field of cut grass will throw it up four or
five yards, and scatter it most effectually for drying. Its
construction, and the ease with which it can be thrown cr.-t-t
of gear, excited much admiration. Another was a turnip-
cutting machine, very simple and effective. Another a beau,
grain, or malt crusher, equally ingenious. Also a small ma-
chine for the sowing of turnips with bone manure, that may
be dragged by a lad :.this appears to be an excellent inven-
tion. A portable thrashing-machine, which will thrash out
eight to twelve sacks of corn a day, by the labour of two
men, was shewn by the same individual ; also several excel-
lent chaff-cutting, or hay and straw-cutting machines, with
three convex-formed knives, verging from the centre of a
fly-wheel—a capital invention, or rather improvement. Mr.
Cartmell, of London-road, in this town, (agricultural ma-
chine-maker,) also showed a similar machine, with concave
cutters, which was equally admired.

Mr. Vickers, ironmonger, of Manchester, showed many
excellent hay-cutting and other machines. We also saw a
most compact wheat-grinding machine, which, with a very
small exertion of manual power, will grind a bushel in four
hours, separating the chaff from the flour, in different iron
drawers. This was much admired.

An elderly and ingenious individual, Mr. Robert Durning,
of Cavendish-street, showed a simple but very effective hay
and straw cutter, which he worked by hand, without a fly-
wheel, with great ease and precision. The awkward attempts
of some of the bystanders to try the machine, elicited some
good-humoured jokes from the old man in the Lancashire
vernacular. Both of his machines, though not new, were
sold on the ground.
The most interesting mechanical exhibition on the ground
was under the root and seed shed,—a model of a drain tile-
work, at present erected on the estate of the Earl of Derby,
in this county. The building is comprised within a quadrant,
the sheds for the drying of the tiles forming the sides of the
rectangle, and the kilns being in the area in front of them.
The model is a working one, turned by hand, and the exhi-
bitors explained the mode of operation, to the great satis-
faction of the company who crushed around them. At the
work at Knowsley, a ten-horse power engine is employed,
and about 1000 tiles may be produced in the hour. The ap-
paratus for mixing and preparing the clay is very clever. The
machine, attached to the same machinery, that turns out the
tiles in a wet state, is so contrived that it is made to traverse
the whole length of each shed twice, by double lines of
railway, so that the tiles, as quickly as they are made,
may be deposited in drying shelves by boys, without
the necessity of walking beyond a very short distance.
As the first and fundamental principle of agriculture in this
humid country is good drainage, we hail this invention as
one that affords great advantages to the farmer at a remark-
ably cheap rate. We learn that there is one of them in every
parish in Ayrshire, and that the effect has been to import a
high degree of verdure and vegetation to a before generally
cold, unkindly, and inhospitable soil. Many Scotch and other
ploughs were also shown,' as well as other useful implements.
On the whole, we may say that the agricultural show of
yesterday gave great satisfaction, and the commingling of
landlord and tenant in friendly converse was truly delightful,
and demonstrated, in a high degree, the general feeling of
" live and let live."