Report on the Exhibition of Implements at Birmingham. 595 
gardens, a spectacle which has never during- my experience 
been equalled in the Showyard of the Royal Agricultural Society 
of England, except, perhaps, in the Royal Park of Windsor in 
1851. The hospitality of the Mayor and' Corporation, and of 
the people of Birmingham, was dispensed most freely ; the 
dinner given by the Mayor in the banqueting room of Aston 
Hall being specially noticeable for its excellence, and the kind 
welcome given to the representatives of the Society. 
The railway arrangements were the cause of some difference of 
opinion at the " General Meeting of Members," the customary 
vote of thanks to the Companies being refused by a large majority. 
This censure, however, must be considered as applying to the 
accommodation provided for passengers and stock only ; for as 
tar as the delivery of implements and goods into the Show- 
vard is concerned, I believe that it has never been better 
managed ; 1500 truck-loads of machinery, implements, and 
goods wei'e handed over to the officials of the Society, and in 
no instance was a truck which arrived during the day left 
unloaded at night. This fact, in connection with the immense 
number of articles transmitted, and the few cases of damage, 
must be considered eminently satisfactory. The difficulty with 
passengers and stock appears to have arisen from the different 
Railway Companies not working sufficiently in conjunction with 
each other ; another source of complaint against them is, that 
they provided no extra facilities for the members on any but 
I the two last days of the Show. 
' The police arrangements were most efficiently carried out, 
and it is satisfactory to remark that, during the continuance of 
the Show, notwithstanding the vast number of visitors, no case 
requiring police interference was reported. 
A novelty in the Showyard this year was the establishment of 
a " Members' Club." This arrangement, if continued, will 
afford much comfort to members and their friends, especially if, 
in addition to the set luncheon, a buffet be established at which 
light refreshments of good quality can be obtained. 
Before I quit the subject of the general aspect of the Show- 
ground, I must remark that many of the stands of implements 
f were arranged in a very artistic manner, and added much to 
its appearance. The arrangement of the summer-houses and 
bridges, combined with the large number of green-houses and 
conservatories down by the lake, gave that portion of the ground 
I quite a festive character. 
The show of Implements was larger than that of any previous 
year of which I have record, numbering 6414 entries on 420 
stands, against 4230 on 277 at Taunton, 5931 on 361 at Bed- 
ford, and 5634 on 329 stands at Hull. There was no very 
