14« 



THE SHREWSBURY SHOW, 1914. 



Three-quarters of a centui'y of Royal Shows was completed 

 by the exhibition held at Shrewsbury from June 30 till 

 July 4, and the magnificent collection of exhibits displayed 

 on the Old Race Course at Monkmoor did full justice to the 

 importance of the occasion and was w^ell worthy of the great 

 agricultui-al district, for in many ways it excelled any previous 

 show. 



Two earlier "country meetings" had been held in Shrews- 

 bury — in 1845 and in 1884. That in 1845 was the seventh to 

 take place under the auspices of the Society and was the last 

 to be held in a town without railway communication. At that 

 time there was no railway beyond Wolverhampton, and the 

 ground between that place and Shrewsbury was covered by 

 omnibuses and coaches from London. The quality of the 

 exhibits on that occasion was stated to have been "fully equal 

 in merit and intrinsic elegance to the most numerously 

 attended meetings of previous years." Like all the very early 

 shows, however, it was not financially a success. 



On the other hand, the "country meeting" at Shrewsbury 

 in 1884 was most successful in every way, and the weather 

 was good, despite occasional storms. 



Comparative figures for the three Shrewsbury Shows are 

 set out below : — 



Excessive heat marked the opening of the Show on Tuesday, 

 June 30, which was, as usual, mainly taken up with the 

 judging. 



Amongst the visitors on the first day were the party of 

 fifty farmers from South Africa, who were on a three weeks' 

 tour of Great Britain l)y motor car, as the guests of the Union 

 Castle Line. The object of the tour was to show the farmers 

 who came over as much as possible of what might be interest- 

 ing or instructive in the most modern methods of agriculture 

 as now pursued in Great Britain. Visits were paid to many of 

 the most notable examples of progressive farming in this 

 country, with especial regard to live stock — which branch of 

 agriculture is receiving ever-increasing attention in South 

 Africa. On the day of their arrival (June 23), the Imperial 

 Government welcomed them at an Official Luncheon at 



