AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES 213 



14 competitors, one of them using a Scotch iron plough drawn by two 

 horses. At the competition in 1825, at High Barns, 50 ploughs, most 

 of which were of the Scotch iron type and made by F. Harling of 

 Sedgwick, were at work competing for the prizes. 



At the autumn show in 1815 the prizes offered were : — 



For the best field of grass after green crop, 

 two acres of turnips, 

 two acres of barley, 

 two-year-old Long-homed heifer, 

 ram of the Fell breed, 

 boar. 



About 1819 the Society was £24 to the bad, and the following year. 

 1820, Shorthorns were recognized by the Society for the first time — 

 a sweepstake for Shorthorn cows being won by James Harrison of 

 Lowfields, though it was ten years earher that Dr. Campbell, the 

 first secretary, wrote to the papers and the committee asking the 

 Society to offer prizes for the improved breed of cattle — Shorthorns. 

 J. Lawson was appointed secretary in 1821, in which year, at the 

 October meeting, there were three sweepstakes for Shorthorns, Wm. 

 Ellison being the winner for the best heifer, James Harrison of Low- 

 fields for the best 6 heifers, and Daniel Wilson of Milnthorpe for the 

 best cow. It was in this year that the Board of Agriculture offered, 

 through the Society, a prize of £25 or plate, for the best cultivated 

 farm in Westmorland of not less than 100 acres, with a full description 

 of the method of cultivation— the award was never made, for the 

 Board ceased to exist in the same year, owing to its inability to spend 

 the £3,000 annually voted to it by Parliament, in the interests of agri- 

 culture. The offer of this prize is one of the last minutes on the records 

 of the Board. In 1820 the Board of Agriculture had awarded a pre- 

 mium of £50 to Wm. Ellison of Sizergh for the best cultivated farm 

 in the district of the Kendal Agricultural Society. In 1824 Ed. 

 Tatham was appointed secretary ; about this date the chief prize 

 winners were Ellison of Sizergh, Gamett of Low Sizergh, Harrison 

 of Lowfields, Webster of Ackenthwaite, Willison of Tullithwaite, 

 Kirk of Middleton, Inman of Forest Hall, Sim of Water Crook, Bowness 

 of Middleton HaU, and Morton of Skelsmergh Hall. At the spring 

 show the Society's silver cups for the best bulls were awarded to Wm. 



