190 ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



addition to live stock, prizes were, at Belfast, awarded for flax and for 

 home industries. The department of the Showyard which excited the 

 greatest interest was naturally that in which the implements, flax seeds, 

 butter, etc., were exhibited. The local Committee received for this Show 

 ;£3,354 i6s. lid. The expenditure, including ;^5oo to the Central Society 

 was ^2,954 3J". id. The home mdustries exhibited were — i. Sewed collars ; 

 2. Sewed trimming or insertion ; 3. Sewed babies' robes ; 4. Sewed babies' 

 caps ; 5. Open or oblique work ; 6. Sewed cambric, bleached or unbleached. 

 Amongst exhibits not for competition were damask, cambric, and yams. 

 The following extract from the report is interesting. " The yarn was the 

 finest ever spun in this country, and fully equalled, if not surpassed, what is 

 usually imported from Germany for the purpose of manufacturing Irish 

 cambric. The flax, from which it was spun, was of Irish growth and prepara- 

 tion." Curiously, the judges awarded the " Royal Society's Medal ' to 

 Miss Donovan for work sent from the Clonakilty National School, County 

 Cork, for the best and most meritorious lot of needlework exhibited at the 

 Show. That Munster workers should excel those of Ulster in this par- 

 ticular class of work is at the present time rather astonishing. For land 

 reclamation there was only one entry, the quantity of land (200 acres) to be 

 reclaimed was rather prohibitive. The prize was awarded to Mr. William 

 Stewart Trench, Queen's County, whose reclamation works in Ireland were 

 most valuable. 



Consequent upon the duplication of prizes, through the local Societies 

 offering prizes for live stock at the joint Shows of Central and Local So- 

 cieties, it was considered expedient for the Central Society to confine their 

 prizes to husbandry and to allow the Local Society's prizes to be applied 

 mainly to live stock. (A very curious competition was proposed by Dr. 

 Bewley (a Quaker) in 1843. " To the person who shall before the ist Octo- 

 ber, 1843, prosecute to conviction the greatest number of turnip stealers, 

 not less than twenty, £^ given by Dr. Bewley.") 



The Cattle Shows subsequently held by the Society continued extremely 

 satisfactory. Competition increased as travelling facilities were improved, 

 and the number of entries of live stock from England and Scotland grew to 

 good proportions. The stimulus of these competitions gave rise to an 

 interest in stock breeding in Ireland such as had not existed previously. 

 The number of shorthorn herds for breeding purposes that were founded 

 augured well for future improvement in Irish stock. The alternating of 

 Shows of stock in various districts has doubtless been of immense service to 

 Irish Agriculturists through bringing under the notice of persons who other- 

 wise could not become acquainted with them the best types of different 

 breeds. 



The hopes of the Society as to the foundation of an Agricultural College 

 were realised in 1844. The prospectus was published in the Farmers 

 Gazette, and the College was shortly afterwards opened. Owing to un- 

 toward circumstances this College had but a short existence, but the 

 changing of the system of Agricultural teaching at the Agricultural Institu- 

 tion, Glasnevin, under the Commissioners of National Education, by which 

 pupils other than teachers were admitted, rendered the closing of the 

 Leopardstown Agricultural College an event of less serious importance 

 than it would otherwise have been. 



As this Prospectus is an interesting document in the history of Irish 

 Agricultural education, it is given here in full. 



