F A 11 M E R S ' REGISTER 



561 



2d. Clean, fresh-burnt lime, same as above, \ 

 lb. burnt alum, povvderecl, 1 lb. sugar, 3 pints rice 

 flour, made into a jelly, 1 lb. clean glue, first dis- 

 fiolved — 5 gallons water : will retain its brilliancy 

 lor a century. — /farmers'' Cabinet. 



SECOND MEETING OP THE ENGLISH ROYAL 

 AGUICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



From the Yankee Farmer. 



The Engliish agricultm;;! papers ^'ive a detailed 

 account of the second ii.<j<.:;ing of the Royal A<.ti- 

 cultural Society, which wds holden at Cambiidge 

 on the 14th and 15th of July. This vvasdoubiie?s 

 one of the greatest collodions and greatest displays 

 ol' the kind that has ever taken place at any lime 

 in any country. 



So great was the influx of visiters that at mid- 

 night preceding the 14ih, the (own wore all the ac- 

 tive appearance and bustle ol" the day. The ope- 

 tions of the society commenced by a grand plough- 

 ing match in a field of upwards of 40 acres. The 

 competition was to commence at 10 o-clock, but 

 belbre that hour the road was crowded with 

 equesirians, pedestrians and persons of every de- 

 scription and vehicle. 'I'here was no dissipation, 

 no disorder, ail mingled together engaged in Iriend- 

 ly converse from peasant to peer, and although 

 there were upwards of 20 thousand there was not 

 a single robbery nor an ai tempt made. The pros- 

 ])ect from the field was most exciting. It is seat- 

 ed at the base of one of the most comnsanding 

 range of hills in Cambridgshire, and presented a 

 wide and vast amphitheatre. 



Fifty seven ploughs were entered in compptiiion, 

 each of which had to ploiigh a compartment ol' 

 200 yards in length and CO in breadth. Every 

 man was at his post and the signal lor starting 

 was given by the sound of a horn. The match 

 was well mainiained, and as it regarded the quality 

 of the work and the time, gave much satisliiction. 

 The judges were mounted on gray iiouses. 



The work having been completed, the plough- 

 men assembled at the judges' marquee to receive 

 liie awards, which were given by the Duke of 

 Richmond, the president of the day. His grace 

 ascended a wagon opposite the council tent, the 

 ploughmen and ploughboys were marshalled in an 

 extensive area, and outside of the ring a great 

 auditory. 



In addressing himself to the competitors, the 

 duke expressed his pleasure in having been ho- 

 nored by the gentlemen and farmers in being ap- 

 pointed to present them with the reward of their 

 skill and industry. ''It was a gratifying circum- 

 stance that their honest merit would receive its due 

 reward. The good conduct and exeriions of the 

 ploughmen and ploughboys would now receive 

 the reward, which he vvas in hopes would influ- 

 ence their future condition. So long as such feel- 

 ings as were displayed on this occasion existed, 

 England would be happy, flourishing, and free, as 

 she deserves to be. — (Cheers.) It vvas still a greater 

 satisfaction that not only men, but boys, had 

 competed and obtained a fair share in the prizes. 

 There were amongst the latter two brothers, who 

 had been very successful, and it showed that they 

 had been brought up well. It showed the force 

 of that example which they wished to iitculcate in 

 all classes of the agricultural communiiv; it showed I 

 Vol. V11I.-71 



that they had observed the great laws of their 

 country; and, what was slill higher, the greater 

 laws of their Creator. — (Loud cheers.) The nobltj 

 president said that he would not detain (he meeting 

 longer, but would proceed to deliver the awards 

 which had been granted by the judges. 



The prizes in money vveif'. next delivered to the 

 successful candidates, from five pounds each to a 

 sovereign. The Duke of Richmond addressed 

 each in. proper remarks, endeavoring to convinco 

 them of the necessily of adhering to those princi- 

 plfs by which they had been now successful, and 

 holding out an example to their neighbors. Hia 

 grace also elated that as the committee wished to 

 give encouragement to every exhibitor, who he 

 hoped would be successful on future occasions, they 

 had awarded to each competitor half-a-crown. 

 The President's speech vvas very effective, and 

 listened to with great attention. 



While the ploughing match was goingon, thera 

 vvas in an adjoining field an exhibition of agricul- 

 tural implements. Among the most prominent 

 were four sub-soil ploughs, which have within fiva 

 years come into general practice. There were in 

 operation thrashing machines, chaff- cutting ma- 

 chines, scarifiers, hand-thrashing machines, drop 

 drills, turnip drills, dibbling machines, crushers, 

 harrows, &ic. 



There were exhibited 86 different ploughs. 

 Among the best were a variety of mouIdboa°ds, 

 and Irames and bearings of the ploughs, and tho 

 couplings that li.\sten the mouldbourds so construct- 

 ed as to admit of several shapes being applied, 

 from the most wedge like to those of the most 

 convex or concave surliices. 



Case hardened metal for ploughs seems to have 

 been rather a new thing in England and has made 

 almosc a new era in the use of cast iron for that 

 purpose. Till this mode of hardening vvas disco- 

 vered, cast iron ploughs were but little used, aa 

 they were condemned from their soon wearing 

 thick and forming a bevel. 



A portable thrashing machine, manufactured 

 by J. R. &. A. Ransom, worked by lour horses, 

 thrashed upwards of GO bushels in one hour, A 

 hand thrashing machine, (or the power of four or 

 six men, knocked out five bushels in fifteen minutes 

 in nice order. 



Ransom's chaflT-cutting machine cufs any 

 length (rom 1-16 of an inch to 2 inches, if so order- 

 ed. It is well calculated for culling gorse, (furz, a 

 thorny plant of the genus ulex,) and it ia v\'ell 

 adapted to cutting cane tops. 



Riddell's scarifier. This a very powerful im- 

 plement fijr the purpose of cultivating land under 

 a variety of circumstances, and bringing it into a 

 proper state of tilth, much more etleclually and at 

 less expense than can be done by means generally 

 employed for that purpose. 



Portable sheep (old. In the construction of the 

 hurdles, which form this fold, strength and light- 

 ness have been studied. There vvas only one pair 

 of wheels to each hurdle, and the whole maybe 

 moved with great facility,' by eiihera man or a 

 lad. They may be instantly connected with each 

 other, and when together form a strong fold. As 

 a temporary division on gentlemen's grounds, 

 these hurdles would not be unsightly. By the 

 use of hurdles on wheels the exceedingly injurious 

 effect of setting common hurdles with stakes over 

 land-drains is avoided. 



