The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-03-17 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
GRAND PLOUGHING MATCH, NEAR AINTREE.

Yesterday, the ploughing match, which, owing to the frost,
had been postponed from the 27th of last month, " came off"
at the appointed ground, and gave great satisfaction to the
numerous parties who witnessed the exhibition of strength
and skill—that, of all others, the most blameless, the
most praiseworthy—of man and horse in the expert turning
of the soil, to render it fit for the reception of the seed, the
produce of which is " the staff of life."

Although the ploughing match has been long postponed,
the interest excited continued to increase towards the finally
appointed day, and the result proved that the community at
large, and those engaged in agriculture in particular, are
awake to the fact that whatever the legislature may hitherto
have done, or whatever they may contemplate, as regards
the trade in corn, the country, high as prices are, has every-
thing to hope for from an improved system of cultivation,
and were the objects of the Liverpool Agricultural Society
fully carried out, we need be in no dread of the want of an ade-
quate supply of food for our population, without throwing
ourselves upon the costly bounty of other countries, in sea-
sons of a short return.

The ground fixed upon was in an extensive field, belonging
to the Earl of Sefton, and on the " Stand Park" Farm, oc-
cupied by Mr. John Garner. The field is on a low ground,
about three-fourths of a mile' westward from the Sefton
Arms (at the entrance to the race-course). At an early hour
many individuals interested in agricultural pursuits gathered
to the spot, and the agricultural labourers were also nume-
rous. Towards noon, the lane leading from the inn to the
ground became pretty thickly sprinkled with individuals
hurrying to the scene of contest; and in a short time the
precincts of the " course" presented a most animated ap-
pearance, each side of the quadrangle—and particularly the
two sides forming the termini of the furrows to be ploughed
—being crowded by a dense mass of spectators. It appeared
at one time, during the height of the contest, that not fewer
than 2,000 individuals were present. Constables were sta-
tioned on the ground, but so great was the anxiety to wit-
ness the contest, that some difficulty arose in preventing
parties from trespassing on the land marked out. Such,
however, were the exertions of Mr. Canuell, an active mem-
ber of he society, that no serious inconvenience was sus-
tained, and all went off with the utmost harmony and good
feeling. The day was fine, though cloudy during the con-
test; and the ground, from the previous rain, was in prime
order.

Amongst the company present on the ground were t
lowing :—Earl of Sefton, Rigby, Esq., John Fi
Esq., Richard Earle, Esq., Z. Sillar, M. D., W. E.
Esq., C.•D. Lowndes, Esq., Augustine Woodward,
John Pearson, Esq., John Aspinall, Esq., Wm. W
Jun. Esq„ R. Unsworth, Esq., Adam Ashton, Es,
Lynn, Esq., George Harriott, Esq., and Win. Skirvin{
—The following is the entry of 'the " Running Plougl

the fol-
'ormby,
Hall,
Esq.,
rebster,
;q., W.
Esq.
:"