Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-08-01
Ton, VT, FRIDAY MORNING,


IHE INTERNATIONAL AGmCULIuEAL SHOW -
\ CusrL. FAILrRE.
LuNpoN, July Sth, 1879.
t. the Eiitnr OF the Free Press and Times
If England were not unfortunately, look
ing forward To one of th' worst harvcsts ON
record, | might describe the complete
breakdown Of the elaborate and
costly arrangements for the great
International Agricultural Show nj Xii
burn as the climax tn the most cNtraordi-
nary series of hucJlic misfortnncs on record.
Farmers came up IL tuwnby thousands. glad
To escape from tn. sight Of their sndden
clays. their crops sickcning from excess of
moisture, if not actually under water, and
their laborcrs marking time in the absence
of profitable work to dc. In London at least
they could walk about Without sinking ankle
deep in mud, and il everything was dispirit-
ing at home. Was there not 'thc greatest
Agricultural Exhibition the world has ever
seen" as the reporters in hundreds of palors
had told them To br visited and cnin!cd
At kilhurn there would be- an appearance of
agricultural prnsscritv, which, howcvr un-
real as representation of the actui' condi-
tiun Of British farming. would chcr- the iad-
rd spirit as a happy dI am relieve: the drs-
pair of a condemned prisoner. .iut. alas,
when they got TO Kilhurn they uund a sea
of mud, the like of which -th.y had never
witnessed "n their stiilcst clys. The Lon
don clay had been churncd MP like brick clay
in pug mill by the traffic Of thousands of
heavy implements during weeks oi persistent
ly wet weather; and the create, portion of
the show ground was impossible To any one
who WAS not prepared to get up O his knees
in mud. Ii is true that a few Of the main
rnadwavs hal been covered will old railway
slrrprrs. and there were plank pathways in
various directions: but these .onveniences
did not extend 10 a terth part the show
yard, and comparatively few visitors saw
mole than tenth part of the show. In AL
dition Ia the mud under foot the rain was
almost constantly pouring down and driving
under umbrellas vainly held lp to keep it
OIL \ few ladies hravclv tHmpcd about
with soddcn boots and bedraggld skirts. look
ing the very pictures and broke down farm
cr's wives and daughters. Eery one was
depressed the official who had in mind the
loss of at least so, 900 by the society the
exhibitor who had got his GOOD placed after
great labor and expense anl who, after
scarcely any one had seen his exhibits had
Ia face the still worse difficult, of getting
them out of the mud in which thcy were
placed; even the cattle, On their damp beds !
or polchin" over the bog as they went out to !
he Judged, were pictures of how're dcpres-
sion. As for Londoners who would have
thronged in hundreds Of thousands to Kill |
burn il lhe show week had been fine one.
they. for the mo>t part, prudently topped at |
home, kept there partly by the description Of |
the horrors of the show which appeared in |
the newspapers and partly hy he rainy
weather.
II is easy to find fault after failure has /
occurred, and there are plenty Of critics to /
ccnsnre the ROYAL Agricultural Society for |
choosing low lying field with clay snhsoil |
for their place oi exhibition. Tley have re- !
ccived Il severe lesson AMI if hey do not
profit hy it no one will pity thea in future. /
1t is not easy 10 find near Lund,n a suitable /
site; hui il the experiment ut holding the /
show in the metropolis should nc repeated |
after two disastrous failures a site with IA |
gravel suhsoil or a paved sh"u-yard. is ill.,
iiispensable.
The great cattle show at Paris, last year,
was held in space that might have hccn |
passed hy unnoticed in Il corner of the |
kilhurn ground. Agricultural shows are
becoming more and more like great baZaars.
If nothing not actually used ON IA farm were |
allowed 10 be- exhibited, anl the maximum
space allotted to each exhibitor were reduced |
10 about one-fourlh Of its present limit if |
there he any limit there would he quite rs /
much worth looking at. and miles Of unnec-
rssary walking through great ironmongers'
shops would be saved Ia the wearicd visitor.
Even manufacturers would hr relieved, rs
hey now bring great array nt their pro-
duets ut a heavy rnsi, more "ut Of rivalry
with each Other than because it is profitable
for them Ia do 50. Only new and improved !
implements need he shown. and it is these
chiefly that will I've shown ii the size of
he stands were sufficiently limited.
That truly magnificent Il show of live
stock and implements as had been got to-
rcthtr at hllhurn should have been rendered
a complete failure hy rainy weather is Ger
lainly matter for deep rc.rc.
al NJ