The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-07-20 00:00:00

PROGRAMME FOR THE WEEK AT LIVERPOOL

Monday, July 19.—Meeting of the council for the general
arrangements of the society.

Tuesday, July 20.—The judges will this day determine
the prizes in the implement yard. The members of the coun-
eil will dine by invitation with the mayor, in the banquetting-
room of the Town-hall.

Wednesday, July 21.—The judges will determine the
prizes in the cattle yard. The exhibition of implements will
be open from eight o'clock in the morning until six o'clock
in the evening—admission ss. Trial of the implements will
be made in the fields. The council of the association will
dine in Lucas's Repository (at five o'clock), and the award
of prizes by the judges will be announced.

Thursday, July 22.—The show of cattle and implements
will be open from eight o'clock in the morning until four in
o'clock in the afternoon—entrance 2s 6d. The grand dinner
of the society will afterwards take place in the great pavilion,
for the members, at four o'clock.

Friday, July 23.—The show of cattle and implements
will be open from eight o'clock in. the morning until two
o'clock in the afternoon—entrance is. [The price is this
day reduced with a view to gratify all classes. In the after-
noon there will be a splendid show of flowers, fruits, &c, at
the Botanic Garden, Edge-lane, when a large tent will be
pitched, and a band of music in attendance. The Royal
Agricultural Society is not, of course, connected with this
exhibition, which will be by far the most extensive and beau-
tiful ever seen in this part of the country.?
Saturday, July 24.—The sale of stock in the show yard
will take place—eutrance ls. [lt is expected that the greater
portion of the extensive collection of fine cattle will be dis-
posed of, as many of them are brought from distant parts at
a great expense. The sale of horses, pigs, sheep, &c, will,
no doubt, be also great, and the occasion will be highly inte-
resting to connoiseurs and others.]
All dinner tickets are to be had on application by mem-
bers, at the rooms of the Mechanics' Institution, from Tues-
day morning, at 12 o'clock, until ]2 o'clock on Thursday.

For many weeks past preparations on a most extensive and,
we may add, magnificent scale have been in progress, for the
grand agricultural show, and the public dinnuers that will
supervene. A large piece of ground was selected, enclosed
and covered with sheds for the exhibition, in an airy and con-
venient part of the outskirts ; and the erection of a large
building was determined upon, for the grand public dinner on
Thursday, there being no room in the town that would ac-
commodate one half of the anticipated guests. Both these
erections are now completed, and though they were built
solely for the occasion, and are destined ere long to be re-
moved, their respective magnitude and peculiarly appropriate
design have excited much interest and attention, and we

} therefore supply a description of each somewhat in detail :•••••
THE SHOW GROUND.
The ground enclosed and arranged for the show is in Wind-
sor, a short distance to the eastward of the Mount Cemetery.
It occupies the entire vacant space or square which is bounded
on the south by Upper Parliament-street, on the east by San-
don-street and Faulkner-square, on the north by Canning-
street. and on the west by Bedford-street. It is nearly on a
dead level, is of a light sandy soil, and is for the most part
covered with grass. Considerable expense was incurred in
levelling inequalities of the surface, and where the grass was
deficient, cinders and other substances were spread down,
and the whole compacted by frequent rolling. The entire
length of the ground is 550 feet, and its breadth 494 feet, so
that it comprises upwards of six acres, and forms nearly a
perfect square. The site is elevated and open, being, as it
were, though in the outskirts. in the open fields, where there
are few houses yet built, and these at some distance from it.
It has also the advantage of proximity to the Edge-hill rail-
way station, from which the cattle &c can be taken without
passing through any portion of the ground. The approaches,
too, are numerous, and uninterrupted, so that all confusion
will be avoided.
The whole area is enclosed with boards, and the interior is
laid out with every attention to the convenience of exhibitors,
and the accommodation of visitors. There are no fewer than 13
very long sheds or tents of woodwork covered with canvass,
the greater part of which is perfectly water-tight. Each de-
partment, such arc the arrangements, will be separate and
distinct. The portion of the area appropriated to the exhibi-
tion of implements of husbandry, seeds, roots, &c, is at the
north end, next to Canning-street, and contains four sheds,
running parallel east and west the whole breadth of the
ground. These are sixteen feet wide, and the pillars that
support them back and front are twelve feet asunder. A
portion of the south shed is fitted with tables for the show
of seeds, roots, vegetables, curious or rare forest trees, &e.
The long avenues between are each twenty feet wide. The
south side of the fourth shed from Canning-street is at pre-
sent boarded up, and will remain so, the better to separate
the implements and the cattle, until Wednesday, when the
boards will be removed in the night, so that the whole area
and its contents will be seen by the public as far as possible
in one uninterrupted view.
The ground southward of the implement sheds (and which
comprises about two-thirds of the whole square) is occupied
by nine long sheds running parallel with each other from north
to south, and each also of sixteen feet wide. Five of these,
on the west, are appropriated for cattle and horses, and four,
on the east side, for sheep and pigs. The avenues between
these are thirty-nine feet nine inches in width, and as well as
the others in the implement yard form delightful promenades.
The cattle sheds are peculiarly constructed and railed off in
stands or stalls below, so that visiters may walk along close
to the animal's heads under shelter of the roof. On each side
of all the sheds, and at a short distance from them, small
trenches are dug, to drain off any rain that may fall, and con-
duce to the dryness and comfort of the footing. The roofs
of all the sheds for implements, and of the most of these
for cattle, &c., are covered with large sheets of semi-tran-
sparent waterproof cloth, of an amber colour. The remainder,
on the east side, are rendered almost as secure, in the event
of showers, by vessels'sails,—chiefly topsails, and top-gallant
sails, that have erewhile borne many a gallant ship across the
ocean. All these coverings are neatly and tightly secured,
and the whole erections suggest the idea, of a new settlement
or town for emigrants in Australia, or some tropical country.
An immense quantity of timber was, of course, required to
complete them. The sheep pens are remarkably well ar-
ranged. Where there are four pens together, a pole is fixed
in the centre, surmounted by a square box or four-sided
placard board, resembling a lantern, each side facing one of
the pens, and each bearing the number of the pen, and the
description of the sheep on a large placard, and the reward,
if any, on a large card over it. Every single stall or standing
will be also numbered on tickets, with the description of the
animal in like manner. At our former shows for this and
the adjoining counties this satisfactory manner of indexing
the breed, &c., was not fully or uniformly attended to.
At the centre of the south end of the enclosure, and outside
of it, there is a reception or entrance yard for the cattle, &c.,
of eighty feet in length by forty in breadth. The ground is
here so excavated that carts, &c., with cattle, pigs, or sheep
may back up with the body of the machine on a level with
the cattle yard, so that the animals may walk out without
being lowered, or driven down an inclined stage or scaffold—
which will be a great convenience. The inner corners of this
yard (on the north) are occupted by two commodious rooms
built of wood, for the accommodation and meetings of the
council of the association, the committees, the clerks, and
others connected with the conduct of the proceedings.
On the south side of the yard are four erections resembling
large sentry boxes, each having an opening or window to the
south, at which admission tickers to the show will be sold to
applicants on the two first days of public admission. For
Friday, when the pr:ces will be lowered to ls., similar acco-
modations are provided at the north-west corner of the en-
closure, which is the nearest to the town.
The whole, now that it is filled with cattle decorated with
ribbons, and implements, &c., presents a highly animated and
most interesting appearance. The society is indebted for the
entire plan and arrangements to Mr. Thomas Gibbs ; and to
Mr. Humphrey Gibbs, the dierector of the show, assisited by
his brother, Mr. B. T. B. Gibbs, all belonging to the old
established and well known concern of Messrs. Thomas
Gibbs and Co., nursery and seedsmen, Half-Moon-street,
Piccadilly, for superintending the erections. Mr. H. Gibbs,
who was also director of the two former meetings of the asso-
ciation, at Oxford and Cambridge, and is director of the
Smithfield Club, has acquired much experience in this line,
and has gone through the arduous task con amore, and with
that persererance which enthusiasm in the cause could alone
supply.
The show of cattle, horses, sheep, &c., is, we may venture
to say, the finest, whether as regards numbers or quality,
which has ever yet been witnessed. It were impossible for
an alderman to look at the fat horned cattle without feeling
his mouth water, and longing to see before him smoking on
the board one of those prime pieces of beef (of which the
stalls would supply hundreds) upon which James 1., in his
penchant for such substantials, . conferred the honour of
knighthood, while he sojourned at Hoghten Town, in this
county.
The visitor to the implement yard will be struck with the
beauty and ingenuity of the vast number of machines and
instruments, some of complex, others of simple construction,
and all of indubitable utility to the husbandman, that there
meat hie aoborric..kool
We have obtained a passing glimpse of the whole. Most
of them are entirely of new invention, and many of them ex-
ceedingly neat and ingenious ; but it were premature to notice
them fully until they are put to the test of trial, or to name
the inventors in detail until the respective prizes are awarded.
Suffice it here to say that they comprise numerous descrip-
tions of harrows, ploughs, drill-sowing, harrowing, grubbing,
rolling, cutting, threshing, winnowing, grinding, bruising, ,
and other machines; all sorts and sizes, in fine, of apparatus
for horse and man power, to torture the poor soil into mel-
lowness, to prepare it for, and impregnate it with, the seed,
to gather in the harvest and prepare it for use—in fact, to do
all but masticate the food for her majesty's lieges, when it is ,
cooked or baked, which operation alone is left to their own
jaws. One contrivance struck us as admirable,—a cart with •
machinery, that can be thrown out of or into gear at pleasure,
to cut turnips for sheep or cattle in the field, and leave them ,
on the ground as it proceeds of about the size of potatoe sets.
There is also a portable threshing machine (on wheels) worked
by a five-horse power high-pressure engine, by a manufac-
turer in Birmingham. We also noticed churns, cheese-
presses, and turners, many of " Ransome's" celebrated im-
plements for sowing turnips, corn, clover-seed, trefoil, &c.,
&c., and great numbers of machines for cutting straw, hay,
turnips, and other fodder, and for crushing the same.
Amongst the numerous articles exhibited are also several
specimens, in large flags, of the Blue Lias, or Warwickshire
Stone, so much approved of for the laying of barn floors, &c.,
from the birth-place of the immortal Shakspeare.
The nursery stands or tables will be viewed with great in-
terest. At that of Messrs. Gibbs, (before noticed) some
fine specimens of dried grasses, the seed of which is adapted
for permanent pasture, will be shown ; also a variety of
roots and plants of extraordinary properties and dimensions.
Our townsman, Mr. Skirving is, as usual, up and doing.
He will show fine samples of seeds, roots, rare forest
trees and shrubs, and various kinds of manure, the properties
of which will be explained. Amongst the trees we observed
a tine specimen of the Aricaria Bricata, a species of pine tree
from the mountains of South America, which has recently
been introduced into this country, and is not only highly
decorative in lawns and pleasure grounds, but is sufficiently
hardy to withstand our climate, and produces a timber much
superior to our native fir trees. It is a beautiful evergreen
with hard leaves closely placed and completely enveloping
the trunk and branches. Here too, under one of the sheds,
is pitched a handsome round portable tent, from the manu-
factory of Mr. Edginton, marquee, tent, and flag manufactu-
rer, of London.

THE PAVILION.
This building, in which the great dinner of the members
of the society will take place on Thursday, is, though but
temporary, the largest and most unique that has ever been
constructed in this town. It is on the vacant ground where
stood the Old Infirmary, in Lime-street, in part of which the
excavation for the New Court House has already commenced;
and, from its magnitude and peculiar appearance, has for
some weeks attracted much curiosity and attention. Tile
architect is T. Wild. Esq., of London, and the general form
is that of a huge tent. In the exterior wall of wood-work,
it is a twenty-four sided figure, described equilaterally within
a circle ; it appears, and is almost in reality, owing to the
obtuseness of the angles, perfectly circular. The diameter is
171 feet—and the height of the outer, and only visible, wall
is 14 feet. The roof resembles that of a tent, rising to an
apex ; but with this difference, in order to obtain light and
ventillation, that there are between an outer circle and a centre
piece (both rising on the same angle) a succession of twelve
radiated risings, of the ordinary roof shape, the outer ends of
which form perpendicular gabels or pediments,. which are
left open, with the simple protection of calico curtains or
blinds, to be drawn only in the event of the wind blowing in
any rain that may chance to fall while the guests are
at the banquet. As the centre circle of the roof
rests upon the ridges of these radiated portions
other similar triangular, but smaller, openings are left
between the slopes of this part of the rooffing, wi
curtains of same material, hanging lower down and forming
deco.iative drapery. The opepings are therefore, in all twenty-
four in number, and admit an ample volume of light. The
covering of the roof is of immense large sheets of canvas,
prepared for the purpose, with composition or varnish of a
reddish hue, totally impervious to water, and nearly so to
light. The appearance of the structure is remarkable and
by no means unpleasiug ; though in the absence of what may
be called architectural decoration, we confess we should like
to see the Royal Standard of England floating from the cen-
tre. We may here, by the way, add that a flag in the middle
of the Show Ground, and a smaller one at each corner, would
show the extent of the area, and tend greatly to enliven the
general appearance of the whole.
The interior of the pavilion is of imposing extent, and
when peopled by the guests, with the numerous tables amply
furnished witn the good things of this life, the effect will be
magnificent. Within the outer circle or wall are two smaller
cicrles of pillars diminishing in diameter, supporting the roof.
These are so slender and so far apart compared with the ge-
neral extent of the building, (170 feet in diatneler,) that they
form little or no obstruction to the view, and none to the
sound. Those of the centre circle are 34 feet in height ;
those of the inner 42 feet. The central Portion of the roof
rises, on, a slight acclivity to its apex, 73 feet from the ground,
and strongly resembles an immense extended parasol, without
the stick, for there is no central pillar.
The seats and tables within in the inner circle are level
with the ground in the cock-pit, or lowest part of the ground,
and run parallel from east to west. Tile great ring beyond
this space to the walls rises gradually to the wall, on broad
steps or stages of strong plank, supported on solid brick
walls, radiating from the centre circle, and all, even to the
back, provided with tables and fixed seats. The whole, con-
sequently, forms an immense amphitheatre, in almost strict
accordance with the celebrated structures of that designation
in ancient Rome. The tables are 18 inches in width, which
may appear a little scanty, until it be stated that there is but
one seat to each, the whole being so arranged that, with the
exception of a few immediately behind the principal table,
all the guests will face the chairman, the table for whom and
his more distinguished guests is elevated on the north of the
inner circle, and is of great length. That for the vice-chair-
man and his friends is directly opposite, nearer the wall, and
is on a still higher elevation. There are 13 parallel tables in
the centre circle, and 14 circular tables ranging beyond
them to the back all round the building. The tickets to be
issued will be for 2,800 individuals (so far as has been yet
arranged) ; but, allowing 20 inches of room for each person,
no fewer than 3,510 may be admitted. At the back of the
chairman's and vice-chairman's tables are pantries and cel-
lars. There are also pantries at the other two cardinal
points of the compass. In the cellars there have been depo-
sited four butts of excellent wine, and anjmmense quantity
of prime ale, porter, &c., for upwards of a fortnight. There
are seven entrances to the building—those to the higher or

gallery part, by exterior stairs, and each will be labelled or
lettered in accordance with the tickets,—after the system
adopted with aegard to polling-booths, in order to prevent
all confusion.

This building, and also the erections on the show ground,
arc the work of our townsmen Messrs. Samuel and William
Holine, of Seel-street; the only parties, in this locality, who
could undertake structures of such magnitude. They have
been superintended by the principals themselves, as well as,
more immediately, by Mr. Arthur Holme, and their clever and
attentive foreman Mr. Rushton. Considered as temporary
buildings they reflect on them the highest credit, and a regret
naturally arises that they must be pulled down immediately
after their appropriation to the uses of the Agricultural
Society. The pavilion might for years to come form an ad-
mirable and much wanted place of public meeting on a large
scale, and might, with some few improvements, also serve
for many years as a theatre for exhibitions, lectures, &c.,
of which this town, considering its extent and importance, is
often wofully in need. If a similar permanent building were
erected in an equally convenient site, we have no doubt, (un-
less the contemplated St. George's Hall be proceeded with,)
but that it would prove a lucrative speculation, and we know
of no builders better qualified to erect it than Messrs.
Holme.

LITERARY

NOTICES

The Farmer's Magazine, Rogerson, London

The Farmer contains this month, amongst other interesting
matter, Liebig's Organic Chemistry—a View of the Past
and Present State of Agriculture in Northumberland—on
Draining—the Timber Duties—Wheat imported (1760 to
1840 inclusive)—the Naturalist's Library—Wire-worm—
Uxworth Farmer's Club—Agricultural Researches. No. 1.
on Reaping—Landlord and Tenant—Agricultural Statistics
of the United States—on Leases—the Corn Laws—Ammo-
nia; its Properties and Relations to Vegetable Life—Lord
Western's Drill and Horse Hoe—Banks of Issue, First Re-
port—Parliamentary Returns of Wheat and other Grain—
Maidstone Farmer's Club—the Corn Laws—lmprovement
in Wool—Presentation of Plate to R. W. Baker, Esq.—Re-
marks on the Evidence published by the late Committee on
Banks of Issue, addressed to the Manchester Chamber of
Commerce—a Compromise—Hussey's Reaping Machine—
Royal Agricultural Society of England—Calendar of Horti-
culture for July—Agricultural Report—Review of the Corn
Trade during the month of June—Prices of Grain, Hops,
Wool, Potatoes, Manures, &c. Two very clever plates illus-
trate this number, one " Mr. Maelroy's Aberdeenshire
Polled Bull," and " Deer Stalkers refreshing at the Buttery
Hatch."

There is no publication or periodical extant which the
agriculturist should so warmly support as the " Farmer's
Magazine." The articles, letters, and extracts are all well
written, and will provide information that may prove highly
beneficial.

The Belle Assemble'e. Rogerson, London

This month's number contains many good articles, and is
illustrated by a well-executed engraving of A Widow."
The tales and poetry are better than usual.

The Sportsman. Rogerson, London

A very dull number, without one good tale or story. The
best portion is the sporting intelligence, which, as a record
of past events, will be valuable.

We cannot help here noticing the very irregular way in
which these three publications appear to be forwarded. A
lapse of several months occurs, without any of them coming
to hand at all; and when they arc sent, they are not received
until the middle of the month, as in the present instance.
We cannot conceive a notice to be of much use when given
at such a late period : hence the reason of the brief remarks
in our paper this day.