Report on l/te Exhibition of Live-Stock at Norwich. 671 
XXIV. — Report on the Exhibition of Live-Stock at Norwich. 
By Sanders Spencer, of Holywell Manor, St. Ives, Hunts. 
It was generally feared that many causes might operate to 
render the Norwich Meeting less of a success than one now 
appears to look for at a Show of the Royal Agricultural 
Society. It was suggested that Norwich was quite on one side 
of the country ; that the means of access by rail were not of the 
best ; that the county of Norfolk was more a winter-grazing 
than a stock-breeding district ; that the ten " lean years " had 
caused such a serious and general depression in agricultural 
circles, as to limit the number of aspirants for show honours ; 
and that the population was so sparse that the number of 
visitors would be much fewer than usual. Fortunately these 
sad forebodings were not realised. The 1886 Show will here- 
after be referred to as one of the most successful of the Society's 
Meetings. The number of entries was in excess of any Show 
since the International one at Kilburn, as will have been seen by 
reference to the Table on p. 667. 
Some of the principal causes for this welcome success are not 
far to seek. The most powerful factors undoubtedly were the 
complete and courteous manner in which our Royal President 
carried out the many and arduous duties connected with his 
office ; and the gracious patronage accorded to the Show by 
their Royal Highnesses the Prince and the Princess of Wales, 
whose presence with their family on the Tuesday, Wednesday, 
and Friday of the Show gave not only the Norfolk people still 
another opportunity of showing how highly they appreciate the 
honour of their county being selected for the " country home " 
of our future sovereign, but to thousands of agriculturists from 
all parts of the British Isles who were still more anxious to give 
expression to the universal feelings of love and admiration 
brought into being by the long-continued interest taken by their 
Royal Highnesses in all that pertains to the homes and farms 
of those of their future subjects who are connected with 
agriculture. The site of the Show was all that could be de- 
sired ; those members of the Society who attended Norwich 
doubtless felt how much they were indebted to Mr. Colman for 
the use of his Park. The railway arrangements were excellent, 
and the hospitality of the city authorities was profuse ; but this 
and many kindred subjects I must leave to the pen of the 
courteous Senior Steward, whose duty, if not pleasure, it is to 
write a valedictory report. 
