The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-07-05


An Agriehliurdl Fair in England Inrita.
| fioHs from The Prince Of lFdles- hat
| England Is Doing 10 Meet the GrosriHg
Competition ofthe United States mprore.
mems in British Methods Of Tiliing the
Soil Etc, Etc.
LONDON, June 81, 1879.
The Royal Agricultural Society of England
is about TO embark upon spirited enterprise.
Invitations have been issued in the name Of
the Prince of Wales, President OF the Royal
Agricultural Society, aud of the chairman and
members Of its council, with an intimation
that from the Both of June until the 9TH OF
July an international Agricultural Exhibition
will be held at kilbnrn, "for horses, cattle,
sheep, pigs, asses, mules, goats, hops, seed,
corn, wool, butter, cheese, hams, bacon, meat,
cider, bees and hives Prizes TO the value
Of nearly fourteen thousand pounds are to be
awarded and distributed among successful
competitors, and it is expressly added that
''all prizes for live stock are open to foreign
and colonial, as well as to British, owners of
animals eligible TO compete. There was
once time when il was reproaehfully alleged
that agriculture, II, indeed, it could be called
science at all, was the least progressive Of
sciences. The tannt, unjust when II was first
uttered some sixty years ago, is altogether
out Of date at the present day. The uniyer.
sal and never-ceasing necessity imposed upon
the human race Of supplying food Tor the sus.
tentntion Of every corporal frame has so
quickened the energies and stimulated the
intelligence of food.producers in all countries
that agriculture and the kindred employment
of bringing four-footed animals Of ali kinds to
perfection, have long taken their places
among finished sciences. By means Of exten-
sive enclosures, large expenditure of capital
in draining, improved systems Of alternate
cropping, ceaseless importation Of foreign aud
increased elaboration of domestic manures,
by the cultivation Of root crops, ameliorated
breeds Of horses, cattle, sheep, pigs and poul.
try, the application Of mechanical ingenuity
to the improvement Of agricultural nipple.
ments, and by judicious economy in seed
and labor, an amount of new and efficient &c.
tivity has, step by step, been called into be.
ing, with n view to enabling the British
farmer to meet the encouragement Of low
prices by the increased productiveness of the
acres committed to his charge. Nor have the
results attained been unworthy Of the saga.
cious efforts put forth with view to their re.
alization. Not many days ago a prize-win-
ming Clydesdale mare was sold BY Scotch
farmer to Mr.. Angus, Of Australia, for seven
hundred guineas, and il is iucontestable that
the domestic four-io0ted animals raised in
these Islands have advanced TO degree Of
perfection unexamped in any other country.
Nothing, indeed, is more certain than that
the existing depression and hard times through
which the agricultural interest is passing can
alone be met by bringing increased capital
and brains TO bear upon the cultivation of
fields, and the Royal Agricultural Society Of
England has played distinguished and use.
ful part in teaching the middling and lower
grades of farmers that their sole hope Of sur.
viving consists in the adoption OF systems
praeticed by their more wealthy and enliqht.
eped brethren. Farming, like driving gig,
was N iormer times supposed 10 be one OF
those natural accomplishments which demand
no impaired skill, no special education and
until the late Mr.. Pasey published series Of
essays, in which he eudeavored to teach the
farmers OF England how TO meet the necess.
ties Of the times, but little had been done to
coniroyert the theory that aguculIurists had
2 eongenial aptitude for the pursuit of most
diliiollt and complicated SCIENCE. 10 1871
The average produce Of wheat IN England was
but twenty SIX bushels On acre, aud MF. Pussy
showed that if II could be raised 10 twenty.
seven bushels, there would be an addition Of
four hundred and seyenty.five thousand quar-.
shilllngs a quarter, about one million two
hundred thousand pounds, which would be
equal to capital sum OF twenty -four millions
gdinea for ever to the country by this tri6ing
increase in the growth of one agricultural
staple alone in England and Wales.t At
present the value OF quarter Of wheat is less
by ten shlllings than in 1871; aud, besides
there is q competition from foreign ports, es.
peeialy the United States, which is more
likely to grow in pressure aud continuity than
to decrease, and is supplemented by suoo an
importation OF meat, dead or on the hoof. as
IS full OF serious menace to orr domestic
raisers of stock. Under these circumstances
II is more than ever necessary for farmers to
sit ct the feet Of those agricultural Gnmaliels
to whom the Royal Agricultural Society has
long offered the encouragement Of substantial
prizes, backed up by its tribute of approba.
ton. "Scienee with Practice is the motto
impressed upon the Society's seal, and in
many OF its reports il has quoted with com.
mendaiion the dictum Of LIebig, to the effect
that 'sagrieqllare is both an art and a science;
its scientific basis embracing knowledge OF
all conditions Of vegetable life, Of the origin
OF the elements OF plants, aud Of the sources
whence they derive their nourishments
c.As.
Cablegrnms state that the annual show Of
tho Royal Agricultural Society began on
Sunday last, Dean Stanley preaching a ser.
mon and conducting divine service in the
yard. The show opened ON Monday at 0, a.
M, and closes on Monday next, the 7ih IN.
slant, the admission on the frat two DAYS
being Eve shilings, on the next two halEa.
crown and on The last three a shilling. Only
once slnee Tho society was founded, iorty-one
years ago, has il held iis exhibition al The
eapital--in 1862, when, though 12f,32s ylsi.
tors paid for admission, the society lost 60.
6sf pounds. Thisyear the Prince Of Wales has
accepted the presidency Of the society, Lon.
don has gwen nearly elO,000 towards the
expenses OF the Exhibition (which will exceed
fi0, 900, the prizes alone aggregating Els.
1885, and on admirable and accessible site has
been selected Al Kilburn, so that success 4
looked for. There are over Ave miles Of
sheds IN the Implement yard--.l2, gO3 feet, as
compared with 10, T06 al Liverpool in ST.
and the entries Of live stock number !. B74. rs
compared with 1927 at Bradford ia 1874, and
among tho special features Of the Exhibition
are to be loan collection Of ancient and
modern farm implements illustrating Tie his,
tory Of agricultural development, an illterna.
ional dairy showing oil the processes Of
foreign dairgmen, . competition Of freight
ears for perlshabe goods and great many
other like displays Of peculiar interest to Eng.
llsh folk, now that so large q portion Of their
food supply i derived from foreign parts aud
that foreign manufacturers are competing with
them 10 the preparation Of articles hitherto
regarded as British gpeeisIties,
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