188 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The reason I heard given for it was that it prevented the wear 

 and tear of the animal's feet upon the pavements. 



Battersea Park lies on the Thames, well up opposite that part 

 of the town called Chelsea, three or four miles above London 

 Bridge. It will be borne in mind that London has grown to 

 such dimensions as to take in many large towns which were 

 formerly its su-burbs. One can walk or ride, it is said, fourteen 

 miles in any direction and still be in thickly-settled streets, 

 between blocks of dingy brick. My quarters had been taken 

 up, rather from necessity, than convenience, in Euston Square, 

 down towards the city proper. When I first arrived in London 

 every hotel was crowded to the utmost. The International 

 Exhibition had, of course, brought strangers from abroad in 

 great numbers ; the Royal Cattle Show had brought up hun- 

 dreds of others who were especially interested in that, and the 

 grand Handel Festival, of which there were to be three per- 

 formances this week, had brought together thousands more. 

 Large and spacious as this great metropolis is, its hotels were 

 for once completely filled. 



The best way to reach Battersea Park I soon found to be by 

 boat from the jner at Hungerford JMarket. A few minutes find 

 me waiting for that easy mode of conveyance. A crowd of 

 people line the pier ; a crowd load down the narrow, sharp- 

 built boat ; but we shoot up the river, dodging around among 

 the numerous other craft, under bridges, stopping often to let 

 off and take on new crowds. Like a Yankee omnibus, the 

 boat is never full. 



The approach to the grounds was decidedly beautiful. The 

 spacious park was not all occupied by the society's inclosure, 

 and acres of shrubbery, walks and lawns surrounded the 

 fences. The gates to the show-ground arc self-registering. No 

 one can enter without the inevitable click that is to tell the 

 story of his passage. A good idea. No one can go out at the 

 gate he enters. It is a genuine revolver, but turns only one 

 way. 



Once inside the grounds, the first thing is to buy a catalogue. 

 That is another idea. " Catalogues for sale," in large letters 

 over a little booth. Have a catalogue ? Of course. Price 

 one shilling. I found the catalogue of the stock entries made 

 a volume of 100 jniges, octavo, while that of the various 



