324 In Memariam. — The late Sir W. Miles, Bart, M.P. 
rise and progress of the Machinery department, as well as of 
the first trials of implements and of that which has eventually 
been denominated the " Prize-System." 
It is, indeed, true that at the first Meeting at Oxford in 1839 
the exhibition of implements was on a very limited scale ; and 
although at that time the few waggon-loads of machinery which 
were exhibited were looked upon as a good display, the whole 
only occupied comparatively a few square yards of uncovered 
space in the centre of the Show-ground. 
The same may be said of the succeeding Meeting at Cam- 
bridge, where there certainly was an increase, still it was not 
sufficient to necessitate special shedding being provided, nor 
regular stands allotted. The few machines that required pro- 
tection were stored in the unoccupied end of one of the live- 
stock sheds. 
It was, however, at the Liverpool Meeting in 1841 that this 
portion of the Show began to assume large proportions : special 
shedding was devoted to implements, which were classified, as 
far as possible, according to their respective uses. 
Now, for the first time, there were three Stewards of Imple- 
ments ; and Mr. Miles, in conjunction with Mr. Handley and 
Mr. W. Patten, undertook this department, and conducted the 
Trials which were then made under the auspices of the Society 
on the race-course at Aintree. 
At the Bristol Meeting, in 1842, for the first time, each ex- 
hibitor showed his entire collection together, on what has since 
been called his Stand ; and on this occasion more extended trials 
than hitherto were made. Again Mr. Miles was a Steward, 
together with Mr. Shelley (afterwards Sir John V. Shelley) 
and Mr. John Benett, M.P. 
At Derby, in 1843, the Implement department became still 
further developed, and, for the first time, each machine had a 
reference number corresponding with the Catalogue, Mr. Miles 
was again a Steward, in conjunction with Mr. Shelley and Mr. 
Pusey, M.P. Indeed, at the succeeding Meetings at South- 
ampton, Shrewsbury, Newcastle, and Northampton, Mj. Miles 
and Mr. Shelley continued to discharge the arduous duties of 
Stewards. 
It was at the Meeting at Southampton that Mr. Miles sug- 
gested the plan of having all the implements which had been 
entered for trial brought together and classified for the inspec- 
tion of the Judges ; but this arrangement, however good in 
theory, had subsecjuently to be abandoned in consequence of 
the increasing number of exhibits from year to year. 
From the above remarks, it will be seen that Mr. Miles acted 
as a Steward of Implements for seven consecutive years ; and 
