THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SHOW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10836, 20 August 1898, Page 3

THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SHOW.

• ♦ | [BT. OUB EXCUSE AGRICULTURAL- CORBESPOX- ' DEXT.]' Loxdox, July 2. So far as the attendance at the great Show held last week was concerned it was a jrrcat disappointment. When it was announced that the Show would be held at Birmingham, the metropolis of the Midlands, everyone expected a great attendance, as tho previous Show in that town in 1876 had been one of the most successful in respect of the number of visitors of any Show ever held. It turned out, however, that the Show was not to be held at Birmingham at all, but in Four Oaks Park, Sutton Coldfield, nine miles from Birmingham on a branch lino of railway. There was great difference between holding the Show within walking distance of Birmingham and holding it in what is practically a remote vil- ' lage. The weather was threatening on most of the days, but excepting on one there was no rain in the early morning to keep people from starting. The total attendance, however, for the six days, including the implement day when the attendance is never worth mentioning, was only 98,278; as compared with 217,960 at Manchester in 1897, 146,277 at Leicester in 1896 100,310 at Darlington in 1895, 111,658 at Cambridgo in 1894, and 115,908 at Chester in 1893. There was no implement day at Manchester, but a third Is day instead, which added considerably to the total. It is necessary to go back to the Warwick Show in 1892 to find an attendance as small as it was last week, and even at that Show, •although the total was only 96,462, in consequence of more people attending on the 5s day, the gate money amounted to £7985, against £7886 for last week. The figures given do not include members of the Royal Agricultural Society, exhibitors, or season ticket-holders, but onl)\the persons who paid at the gates. It is not certain whether the Society will gain or lose by the Show, as this point is not decided by the gate money alone. At Warwick, in spite of the small attendance, there was a profit of over £2000, whereas at Plymouth, two years before, with a slightly larger attendance, there was a loss of over £2000. But whether the Society lose or gain, the Show in itself was a great success. The entries, compared with those of the seven preceding Show, and the first Birmingham Show, aro shown in tho following table: — Entries of Live Stock, Poultry, Produce, and Stands of Implements.

IMPLEMENT TRIALS. In the week preceding that of the Show there was a trial of self-moving vehicles in two classes, competing for prizes of £100 and £50 in each class, one being for light loads and the other for heavy loads. In the for vehicles to carry light loads, the first prize of £100 was awarded to the Daimler Motor Company, of Shaftesbury Avenue, London, for a covered van fitted for four speeds (two four, six, and eight miles an hour), reversing gear, direct steering, two powerful brakes, and rubber-tyred wheels. The fuel used is "petrol" (benzoliue). There were four entries, but only three appeared, and the Daimler van alone finished, one competing vehicle having been disabled by an accident. On the second and most important day of the trial, which decided it, there was a run of about 53 miles, end the Daimler travelled that distance in six hours, carrying over a ton of gravel, which brought the gross weight up to 2 tons Bcwt 2qi: I+lb, and using 2| gallons of benzoline, costing "id per gallon. There is a great desire to substitute paraffin for benzoline in motors, because it is much safer, and it is therefore all the more unfortunate that the van exhibited by Messrs. Roots and Vennbles, of Westminster Bridge Road, which uses common paraffin, was run into and disabled on the first day of the trial by a person driving an autocar not in the trial. In the class for vehicles to carry heavy loads thero were five entries, but only two competed, those of the Lancashire Steam Motor Company, of Leyland, Lancashire, and the Steam Carriage Waggon Company, of Chiswick, to which the prizes of £100 and £50 were awarded in the order given. Both vehicles are worked by stoam-power, iiio former using common paraffin as fuel, and the latter coal or coke. A run o( about 50 miles was accomplished by tho Leyland van in 10 hours, the fuel used being 23£ gallons of oil, costing 3Jd per gallon. All three of the prize-win-ning vehicles are in use commercially. The other trial was for safety-guards for chaff-cut-ters, and the only prize offered was awarded to Messrs. Richmond and Chandler, of Manchester. Their chaff-cutter is fitted with a train of four press rollers in a frame behind the upper feed roller. When the machine is in action, tho hay is carried forward by a feeding web under me pressure-rollers, and is gradually compressed so that the feed rollers can grasp it. The attendant has no need to put his hands near the feed rollers, which, indeed, ho can scarcely reach even if lie tried. A somewhat similar machine, with simpler, f-.nd apparently quite as efficient a safety arrangement, exhibited by Messrs. Brodie and Middlelon, of Manchester, was also in the trial, with many others. In this invention there is a movable flap under the cover of the gearing, which guides the hay as it is carried forward by a travelling web, and thus the feeding of the knives is automatic, while the attendant cannot reach the feeding rollers. NEW AND IMPIIOVED MACHINES AND IMPLEMENTS. No fewer than 79 entries appeared in the class for now or improved implements and machines eligible for the few silver medals granted by the Society. The most striking of all was the Monorail Portable Railway Plant, shown by the Manchester Portable Railway Company, of Old Jewry, London. As the name implies, this is a single rail system, the cars being balanced so that they.ittm bo drawn by a man or by a horse with great facility. Tho draught is from a rod on the projecting side of the car, which acts as a lever when the vehicle is in motion, enabling the man or horse to balance it with tho greatest ease. When at rest, the load is held up by jointed supports. The economy in comparison with tin double-rail system is obvious. No sleepera are required, and a minimum preparation of the ground is all that is necessary; therefore there is a great saving in the laying down of the line as well as in the plant, and it can be transferred from one place to another at comparatively little cost. This novelty, which is the invention of a French engineer, gained one of the four medals given by the judges. Another medal was granted to Messrs. Robert Boby and Co., of Bury St. Edmunds, for a self-cleaning machine for separating plantain and rib-grass from cloverseed. The seed runs through cylinders which partially clean it, after wjjich it passes through a rotary screen cased with patent indents of a peculiar shape. All growers of clover-seed know how difficult it is to get plantain or rib-grass out of it, but this new machine appears to do tho work in an astonishingly effective manner. The third medal was given to Messrs. Vipan and Headly, of Leicester, for the Centrator Cream Separator, brought out by the Centrator Company, of Stockholm. It is a very simple and easy-working machine, and, as it was tried by the judges in the working dairy, thero is no doubt that it does its work well. The fourth medal was won by Messrs. Keyworth and Co., of Liverpool; for their barrow seed-drill for broadcast sowing. Instead of the old method of working the seed out by means of a revolving brush, which is liable to clog the holes, or get worn in one part more than in another, the work is done by means of a vibrating rod, which struck me when I saw the machine on the opening day as a great improvement. Tho judges are always very chary of giving medals, and there were several other novelties in the showyard which appeared to me to deserve them. One of these was an improved double-row notato planter, brought out by Ransomes, Sims, and JefFerios, of Ipswich. Instead of the spikes for picking up the seed-tubers, used in their old machines, they have introduced a most ingenious finger-and-thumb fitting for grasping the potatoes and afterwards opening when it comes in contact with a cam, so that they drop into the soil. Messrs. Howard, of Bedford, too, have greatly improved their well-known 'steam-power baling press for hay and straw. The press not only feeds its own baling chamber, but also places the.wires round the bales, dispensing with dividing-boards, and saving the labour of one man. To return to a few dairy novelties,' the well-known- Radiator, which makes butter direct from pasteurised milk, exhibited on behalf of the Stockholm manufacturers' of Bcrner and Neilson, of Gracechurch-street, London, is now brought out in the form of. a hand-power machine ; suitable for small dairies, : It can be worked | easily by a woman, and it appears to do its j work remarkably well. The steam-power Ra-

diator is now in use in several parts of the United Kingdom, and everywhere it appears to give the greatest satisfaction.' Tho pasteurised butter which it produces is not only of a very fine flavour, but also keeps sweet for a much longer timo than butter made in th-s ordinary way. Another novelty in England is the new Belgian cream-separator, the Mclotte, shown by the Melotte Separator Sales Co., of Bristol. The bowl of this machine is suspended, and friction in working it is reduced to a minimum. Moreover, it is a iow machine, and its closeness to the ground increases the power of the operator over it. Tho small machine, which deals with o~ gallons of milk per hour, is so easily worked that, after full speed has once been attained, a child could continuo to work it with tho greatest ease. Among the novelties entered by Messrs. Lister, of Dursley, is the ListerStokes Milk Tester, which is chiefly noticeable on account of the ease with which the tubes can bo cleaned. They are fitted with movablo bottoms, which can bo taken off in cleaning, so that a brush can be worked through the tubes. An apparatus for measuring acids and an automatic pipette were also shown for tho firsttime by this firm. These are only a few of the novelties, which are so numerous that it is impossible to mention anything like all of them. THE LIVE'STOCK. A better all-round show of live stock than that of the recent Exhibition has never been seen The horses were fairly up to the mark, while the cattle, sheep, and pigs, taking them altogether, have rarely, if ever, been equalled in excellence. I give below comparative lists of entries of the several classes of horses, cattle, and sheep:— HORSES. Binning- Handles* Leieesham. ter. ter. 1898. 1897. 1355. Hunters 157 197 194 Cleveland* and Coach Horses 40 40 19 Hackneys 103 183 92 Ponies 134 174 24 Harness Horses and Ponies 40 73 26 Shires 135 172 174 Clydesdales 34 51 27 Suffolks 38 43 28 Draught 28 48 - Total 709 981 584 CATTLE. Shorthorns 189 184 127 Herefords 60 60 47 Devons ■ ... 38 51 55 Sussex 28 25 27 Longliorns 22 — — Welsh 21 32 23 Red Polls 27 38 21 Aberdeen-Angus ... 56 45 31 Galloways 24 30 22 Highland - 3 6 Ayrshire.* 19 21 7 Jerseys 158 149 130 Guernseys 79 61 46 Kerries and Dexters 40 44 31 Dairy Cattle, etc. ... 32 78 60 Total 792 821 594 PENS OF SHEEP. Leicester 35 60 42 Cotewold 32 21 20 Lincolns 75 73 50 Oxford Downs ... 44 27 28 Shropshires ... ... 147 141 127 Southdowus 84 74 64 Hampshires 59 58 60 Suffolks 13 18 23 Border Leicester ... 36 61 42 Wensleydales 18 21 14 Other Breeds 81 95 81 Total 624 649 , 551 Nearly all the leading breeds of horses, cattle, and sheep wero admirably represented, and the pigs made one of the best shows that 1 have ever seen. Of course it is impossible to give oven all the first prizes, so numerous were they, and unfortunately the champion prizes aro given only for certain breeds. The Koyal Agricultural Society does not give any '.hampion prizes, and those that are presented Ere offered by the breed societies. Tho following is a list of the champion prizes: —

Hunter Filly-Mr. B. G. 11. Gee's Fancy Free. Hackney Stallion-Sir W. Gilbey's Gay Dauegctt. Hackney Mare or Filly—Mr. Waterhouse's Bury Daisy. 'hire Stallion— Alexander Henderson's Busoot Harold. Shira Mare or Filly—Lord Wantage's Eendre Crown. Shorthorn Bull-Mr. P. L. Mills' Marengo. Shorthorn Cow or Heifer—Mr. Brierley's Jewell H. Red Polled Breed—Messrs. Thos. Brown and Son's Uncas. lied Polled Cow or Heifer-Mr. J. J. Column's heifer. Aberdeen-Angus of either sex—The Earl of Eosebery's Edenhall. Kerry of either sex— Marlay's Marquis. Dexter of either sex-Mr. Woodiwiss' Simple Simon. ~ _ Exhibitor of best Lincoln Earn— 11. Dnddin?. Exhibitor of Best Shropshire Ram—Mr. D. Butsar. Exhibitor of best Suffolk Earn—Earl of Ellesmere. .. _ . Exhibitor of Large White Pig-Mr. P. L. Mills. • „ „ Exhibitor of Middle White Pig-Mr. Twentyman. Exhibitor of Small White Pig-Mr. J). Gibson. . „ _ „ Exhibitor of Berkshire Boar—Mr. J. JefferExhibitor of Tamworth Boar or Sow-Mr. J. Norman (Champion Medal and Sil'.cr Cnpt. The show of poultry was the largest rer held by tho Royal Agricultural Society, and there were also good displays of cider, perry, and cheese; but the exhibits, of butter were not on the whole as good as they should have been. That division was the only weak one in a Show of surpassing excellence.

J. ~.3.f J. 6 .'*".(. £ Tff'ff^fff ;3_2 a _ i_ Horses .. 709 981 594 1150 617 509 417 713 424 Cattle .. 702 821 594 MS 659 758 605 601 474 Sheep .. 024*701 551 605 5SS 031*610 643 467 'I'fe.i .. 198 185 144 - - 161 202 2.4 191 Total .. -2323 -JOSS 1883 1708 1S04 20591S64 22211499 Poultry .. 901 £07 601 769 705 836 836 800 — (•reduce .. 635 715 574 474 540 957 423 425 SI Implement Stands..! 5112 4S9 450 393 442 403 411 421 421 '1'hese figures include 52 seats in 1597,14 in 1802 anil 8? ill 1830.