234 Report to the Annual General Meeting^ 



October. Owing, however, to the exceptional conditions caused 

 by the War, it was felt necessary to abandon the project for this 

 year. 



The Members of Council who retire by rotation at the 

 Annual Meeting in December next are those representing the 

 following electoral districts comprising Group A : — Northumber- 

 land, Yorks. North Riding, Lancashire (and Isle of Man), Cheshire, 

 Derby, Northampton, Norfolk, Bedfoi'd, Hertford, Middlesex, 

 , Stafford, Worcester, Monmouth, Cornwall, Dorset, Hanrpshire 

 and Channel Islands, and Scotland. The Members of the Society 

 resident in those districts have all been communicated 

 with, and the necessary measures are being taken for the election 

 or re-election of representatives for the divisions concerned. In 

 consequence of the diminution of the membership in Northumber- 

 land and Norfolk, each of these counties will have its repre- 

 sentation reduced. 



In accordance with the By-laws, the balance-sheet has to 

 be presented for consideration at the Annual General Meeting. 

 The Council therefore beg to submit the balance-sheet for the 

 year 1913, with the Statement of Ordinary Income and Expen- 

 diture. These accounts were published in Volume 74 of the 

 Journal issued to Members early this year, having been duly 

 examined and certified as correct by the Auditors appointed by 

 the Members, and iDy the professional Accountants employed by 

 the Society. 



At a special meeting held on September 1st the Council 

 unanimously resolved, on the motion of the President, seconded 

 by H.R.H. Prince Christian, K.G., that a sum of £l,000 be con- 

 tributed by the Society to the Prince of Wales' National Relief 

 Fund. 



The show at Shrewsbury was the third which has been held 

 by the Society in that town, and, as m the year 1884, it was 

 held on the Old Race Course and adjoining lands. This site near 

 the old Abbey was splendidly adapted for the purposes of the 

 show, and the situation of the yard was most picturesque. From 

 the point of view of excellence of exhibits the 1914 show was with- 

 out doubt one of the best ever held under the auspices of the 

 Society, and with the one exception of the Jubilee Show at 

 Windsor in 1889, the live stock entries were the largest on record. 

 The show, which took place from Tuesday, June 30th, till 

 Saturday, July 4th, opened in brilliant weather with excessive 

 heat, Avhich continued for two days. On the afternoon of the 

 third day there was a thunderstorm with a very heavy rainfall, 

 which caused parts of the show-yard to be flooded for a short 

 period. The ground, however, very quickly recovered from the 

 deluge. 



His Majesty the King graciously honoured the show with a 

 visit on Friday, the first one-shilling day, and spent some time 

 making a tour of the yard. 



The show was also visited on the first two days by the party 

 of fifty South African farmers then present in this country, and 

 on the last day by a number of peasant farmers from Siberia. 



