M> FIELD AND FERN. 



feature in the earlier history of the Society, and in 

 a report of one held in 1819^ in the Kincardineshire 

 district, where twenty-four ploughs were drawn by a 

 pair of horses, and three by oxen, ^' a small sum of 

 money was allotted to each unsuccessful candidate/' 

 Gradually the system was given up, or confined 

 bo a silver medal to the best ploughman " on the 

 report of one or more members of the Society;" 

 and competitive implement trials were annexed 

 to the programme at each of the meetings. These 

 were abandoned after ^61, and the implements 

 are not now arrayed in sections as they once were, 

 but exhibitors group exactly what they like at their 

 stands. A committee send in a report, and select 

 new inventions or important implements for trial, 

 and at Athelstaneford last year some reaping ma- 

 chines were tested. The withdrawal of the prizes 

 has rather increased the number of implements ex- 

 bibited. The Kelso entry was very much larger than 

 the Perth one, and stood at 1,101 as against 11 at 

 Edinburgh in 1827. 



Their earliest premiums were given for *' black 

 cattle,''-' or rather Argyllshires, and the expression still 

 lingered out of courtesy at the head of the list long 

 after the other breeds were acknowledged, and had 

 distinct classes. The maiden show seems to have 

 been one for bulls at Connel Kilmore in Argyllshire, 

 on October 20th, 1784; and the directions to the 

 judges were "to attend to the shape of bulls, and 

 not to the size, as we encourage the true breed of 



