548 Report on the Exhibition at Birmingham. 
present system of selection should be continued. But here 
let me say a word or two, to dissipate the popular idea that 
the Society is the Show. The ' Journal,' containing as it does 
such a store of useful and interesting information, forms a 
most important part of the work of the Society ; and if ques- 
tions of finance were to press much more strongly than they 
ever will, I should say, speaking now only for myself, let the 
Country Show be in abeyance for a single year, but never stop 
the ' Journal.' Doubtless there are hundreds, if not thousands, 
of Members who would be only too glad to double or treble their 
subscriptions, but this is not really needed ; much better let 
us replenish our coffers with funds drawn from new ^Members 
attracted to us by our increasing usefulness. 
I have said that the Birmingham Meeting was a great success, 
and, indeed, how could it be otherwise with a Local Committee 
constituted as it was, and working as it did. It strikes me that 
a few lines may well be devoted to this subject, so as to put 
permanently on record in this ' Journal ' what they have done, 
and how right well they did it. It is not unnatural to suppose 
that the locality could produce plenty of men with the ability 
and energv to do all that was necessary to command the success 
which has been achieved. 
The site was the first question, and how well that was settled 
we all know to our infinite satisfaction ; but it is by no means 
generallv known how much had to be done to secure it, and 
then to make it available. But I am wrong in speaking of 
difficulty in securing it : though there might have been any- 
where under similar circumstances. A portion of the ground 
Avas the property of the Corporation, and they, acting on behalf 
of their constituents, the general public of the immediate 
locality, not unnaturally took a liberal view of the subject 
for which they would ask no credit, though at the same time, I 
may just observe, there are two ways of doing a thing, and they 
did it in the best and pleasantest way. But a considerable 
portion of the ground was in private hands, and therein was 
the key to the situation. How the owner of these lands was 
approached on the subject, we do not know ; but we do know 
how he dealt with it. What financial sacrifice he made to 
meet the general wish that the Show should be held in Aston 
Park cannot be calculated in £. s. d., nor indeed would a man 
possessed of so liberal a spirit wish to be glorified by such a 
calculation. 
Well, the site having been secured and fully approved by the 
Council of the Society, the Local Committee set to work on 
it. That its capabilities were great, no one could deny ; but 
it required the exercise of no little faith to realise this, and the 
