Interesting Special

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29051, 13 November 1959, Page 11

Interesting Special

For the visitor to the Metropolitan show who cares to look around a little, there are special exhibits of general interest in widely spaced corners of the grounds. This year there are at least three innovations. In one part of the machinery section, a jet boat tethered in the middle of a large pool, purrs slowly round and around in circles, while about 100 yards away, an Army 25pounder gun points at a candy floss stall and a big Army recovery vehicle towers over a carpet display.

Visitors to the • show each day will be able to watch a radiocontrolled tractor as it goes through its paces in the judging ring.

Yesterday, crowds quickly gathered as the driverless tractor and an attendant tractor, whose driver was controlling both vehicles, entered simultaneously through separate gates in the show ring.

A small box filled with radio equipment and with about six simple controls on top is fitted to the attendant tractor. By pushing buttons or throwing switches, its driver can operate the clutch, raise and lower the implements, and the steering, on the radiocontrolled tractor. >

Small boys and even their fathers stared in wonder yesterday as the tractor, with its steering wheel spinning left and right as if by magic, manoeuvred round the jumps in the show rings, stopped, lowered its carry-all tray to the ground, raised it again, and then started smoothly, to continue on its accurate- course.

At the east end of the grounds, near the main entrance on Lincoln road is the Department of Agriculture tent, where the interested visitor can spend some time looking at instructional displays showing some of the activities of the department. The displays include diagrams, pictures, and models. Part of one wall is taken up by a plant propagation display—seed sowing, layering, stem cuttings, leaf cuttings and . budding are some of the methods demonstrated.

Breeding for wool improvement shows samples of wool with all types of fiaults and suggestions on remedies as well as ideal types. 1 Farm dairy instruction is made up of models of ideal milking sheds, backed by photographs and diagrams. Near to the Department of Agriculture tent is the display sponsored by the Country Girls’ Clubs and the Young Farmers’ Clubs. Safety on the farmis the