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THE FARMER*S MAGAZINE. 



not the reason, Tho postponement was made in 

 deference to and under a kind of half-promise that the 

 Prince Consort would be present. It was assumed that 

 Her Majesty would be at Balmoral at the time of the 

 Meeting:, and hence the desire to give his Royal High- 

 ness the opportunity of attending a gathering so con- 

 genial to his own tastes, and in the support of such as ho 

 has 80 often taken a part. But the Fates have willed it 

 otherwise. The Royal Family have not yet arrived in 

 Scotland, and the Duke of Atholl and Mr. Hall Maxwell 

 have to answer for the consequences. 



With all respect, it was the Prince's loss. The 

 meeting was quite worthy of the countenance of 

 Royalty, for it was the best the Society has ever yet 

 celebrated. Either for the general character of the 

 stock, or the marked improvement in the exhibition of 

 implements, there has been none, so far, equal to this 

 anniversary. The chief features of such a show — pecu- 

 liar as they in some degree are — were altogether more 

 attractive than usual ; while there was but little in 

 other ways to counterbalance this superiority. More- 

 over, they were not thus centred in vain. Despite the 

 absence of the Prince, notwithstanding the bustle of 

 the harvest, and the manifest uncertainty of the 

 weather, we rarely remember so full a meeting 

 of the Highland Society; and we never yet saw 

 in Scotland such a continuous crowd of people who 

 took an active interest in the proceedings. They 

 not merely thronged round Mr. Wetherell's bull, 

 and Mr, Douglas's heifers ; they discussed not only 

 the merits of the black cattle and the white pigs, but 

 they " went in" far more earnestly than they ever 

 have done at the Implements. They worked carefully 

 through Richmond and Chandler's excellent stand, 

 gradually warming to its uses, and finishing with 

 plenty of orders for chaff and turnip-cutters. Then, 

 the improved steam engine is just coming to be appre- 

 ciated, and Robey, who entered manfully for the prize, 

 and took it, had to encounter the negative comparison 

 of such famous firms as those of Hornsby, and Clayton 

 and Shuttleworth. The machinery of the two latter 

 were conspicuously announced as " for exhibition and 

 not for competition;" although with the approved 

 want of consistency, every implement was decked out 

 with the prize-cards of the triumphs achieved at other 

 shows. An obvious question that arises here is — if so 

 deservedly celebrated a house as that of Richmond and 

 Chandler does enter for trial, why should not Hornsby, 

 Clayton and Shuttleworth, and the Howards ? The 

 Bedford makers had a collection of their essentially 

 farmers' implements — the very things in construction, 

 use, and price to lead on a comparatively new country. 

 Then, they do go to work, but on the strict un- 

 derstanding that no official decree is to be pronounced 

 on their performances. When, as with the Bedford 

 plough, the instrument is really a good one, such a 

 course of conduct cuts both ways. Argue as we will, 

 the public will fly to the prize entries, althougli they 

 may learn hereafter, as it was written in an Aberdeen 

 journal, that " Messrs. Howard's plough wrought 

 beautifully indeed. In look there was no work in the 



field to be compared with it." This, of course, comes 

 a day after the fair; and for either buyer or seller, such 

 a line of proceeding ia at best but unsatisfactory. 

 Another example here may the better illustrate this. 

 If the Scotch have had a lead in any kind of farm im- 

 plements, it has been with the reaping machines. Of 

 course there was a prize for them at this meeting. 

 Lord Kinnaird entered two, now well known as of his 

 lordship's adoption, but considerably improved; two 

 of Bell's, also further perfected, went to trial ; and 

 Samuelson, of Banbury, introduced another American 

 invention, the great aim of which was to deli- 

 ver the corn in the sheaf. This was more or 

 less a failure ; but both Lord Kinnaird's and 

 the Bell machines were considered to have very 

 much advanced in the execution of their work. For- 

 tunately one of Burgess and Key's prize reapers was 

 on the ground; but, provokingly enough, it was "not 

 for competition," and accordingly any test on 

 " authority " of our progress was denied us. Still 

 Messrs. Hornsby allowed the English reaper at length 

 to be set going; and it is only justice to say that the 

 common ox)inion was not in its favour. It was thought 

 that, under any circumstances, had not Lord Kinnaird 

 received the premium, one of Bell's machines must 

 have taken it. But the ups and downs of a prize 

 reaper are now proverbial. 



Altogether, we are still inclined to rank this exhi- 

 bition of implements as something more than encour- 

 aging. It proves that the Scotch farmer is becoming 

 awake to the weak place in his practice. A few years 

 since it was only extraordinary how there could 

 be so much good farming with such bad tools. It 

 would be affectation to question but that this better 

 state of things is mainly attributable to the pre- 

 sence of the English firms. To secure their aid, they 

 have only to be better ti-eated. With now some years' 

 experience of the system, wc are convinced that no- 

 thing can be worse or more inconvenient for either 

 visitor or exhibitor than the Highland Society's plan 

 of laying out this section of its sliow-yard. Compare 

 one class of implement side by side with another of the 

 same description at tho time of trial if you please ; but 

 on the great show days let each house have its manu- 

 factures under its own direction. We are quite certain 

 that the ordering out of a line of ploughs here, and of 

 harrows there — scattering, in a word a man's shop all 

 over the field — has spoilt many a sale ; and, be it re- 

 membered, it is quite as much to the advantage of 

 Scotland to buy as it is for England to sell. Beyond 

 which, tho exhibitors want better accommodation. 

 They should be allowed the opportunity of covering-in 

 their stock, for which wc are assured they are ready 

 and anxious to pay. It quite threatened for a rainy 

 day on Thursday ; and had it so turned out, 

 either for cattle or implements, the meeting 

 would have been a hopeless failure. In short, 

 for a national society of the strength and 

 importance this is now becoming, the getting-up 

 of the show-gi'ound is wofully inadequate and inferior. 

 With increased accommodation, the time of the exhi- 



