General Meeting, July 1, 1914. xxix 



Championship Hedging Competition, 



The President then preseuteil to Mr. John Eaton, of Myddle Wood, 

 Shrewsbury, the Certificate and Silver Medal awarded to him as the winner of 

 the Championship Hedging Competition, held under the auspices of the 

 Society at Belvidere, Shrewsbury, on February 25 last. 



Thanks to Mayor and Corporation. 



Mr. F. S. W. CORNWALLIS said the first resolution which the Society 

 always passed, and in which he was sure every Member of the Society would 

 most cordially join, was that of their thanks to the Mayor and Corporation 

 for their hospitable reception of the Society. (Applause.) There were 

 probably few even in that tent, and certainly none outside it, who knew what 

 trouble, care, and anxiety devolved upon those who welcomed the Royal Show 

 to their midst. They had been fortunate this year in having as head of the 

 Corporation as Chief Magistrate one who was thoroughly acquainted with the 

 requirements of agriculture and in every way fitted to undertake that great 

 task. They expected when they came there to that ancient city, in the midst 

 of that great agricultural centre, to have an Exhibition second to none in the 

 history of the Society, and their confidence in that respect had been more than 

 justified. They wished to thank all those who had co-operated with the Mayor 

 in welcoming them there. He could not have achieved what he had done 

 unless he had had the hearty co-operation not only of every Member of the 

 Corporation, but also of all the Officials, the Town Clerk, and others who served 

 the Corporation in various capacities. To one and all of them they returned 

 their heartfelt thanks. They thanked them for all the trouble in detail which 

 was necessary to give the Society a Show-ground, to provide them with the sum 

 of money which was necessary to welcome the Society, for all the details 

 connected with the water supply, and many other things. He wished to assure 

 them that the few words in which he proposed that resolution was no measure 

 of the gratitude the Society felt and owed to the Mayor and all those who 

 had so cordially co-operated with him. 



Lord MORETON seconded the resolution, which was unanimously adopted. 

 The Mayor op Shrewsbury, in responding, thanked the meeting for the 

 very hearty vote of thanks accorded to him and the Borough that day. He 

 also thanked Mr. Cornwallis for the flattering remarks he had made. As had 

 been rightly pointed out, it was due to the Members of the Corporation and its 

 officials, and to the Members of the Local Committees representing both the 

 Borough and the County working in harmony, that the arrangements had so 

 far been satisfactory. He assured them that they in the Borough of Shrews- 

 bury thoroughly appreciated the honour which the Society had done them by 

 holding the Show there this year. It was an honour to the Borough and also 

 to the County. As a Borough they were a small place in the centre of a large 

 and prosperous agricultural district, and the holding of the Show made the 

 Borough known. It also gave a stimulus to agriculture generally and to the 

 breeding of stock in the county and the surrounding districts. He was very 

 pleased that so far the Show had been successful. 



They were to be favoured by a visit from His Most Gracious Majesty the 

 King, and, of course, the Borough appreciated the great honour of His Majesty 

 passing from the station to the Show. He knew that as Members they at that 

 meeting appreciated the honour done to the Society, but it was doubly appre- 

 ciated in the Borough. As a Society they often had visits from the reigning 

 Monarch and other Royalty. They in Shrewsbury, however, had not been 

 honoured by a visit of a reigning monarch for 236 years. They had been 

 favoured a few years ago by a visit from Her Most Gracious Majesty the 

 Queen, then Princess of Wales, when she had viewetl several of their old build- 

 ings and churches, and they were only sorry that she was not to accompany 

 His Majesty on Friday. He thanked them again for the very hearty vote 

 accorded to himself and the Corporation of Shrewsbury. 



