vi 
Report to the General Meeting. 
Show, but, notwithstanding this drawback, the total number 
registered by the , turnstiles has been exceeded only three times 
in the history of the Society, namely at Leeds in 1861, at Man- 
chester in 1869, and at Birmingham in 1876, while the money 
receipts were second only to those at Manchester. The Local 
Committee and the authorities of Liverpool made every exertion 
to render the Meeting successful. Besides their remarkably 
handsome additions to the Society's prize-list, the Local Com- 
mittee organised a parade of more than 300 cart-horses in the 
Show-yard on the Saturday afternoon, and it was generally 
admitted that this was a most instructive and attractive as well as 
a novel exhibition. The Mayor and Corporation and the mer- 
chants and manufacturers of Liverpool invited the Members of 
the Society to inspect the buildings and processes over which 
they had control, and many Members of the Society availed 
themselves of this opportunity to acquaint themselves with the 
extensive docks, public buildings, factories, and warehouses 
for which Liverpool is famous. In every respect the country- 
meeting will long be remembered as one of the largest and 
most useful of those which the Society has held. 
The competition for the Society's Gold Medal offered for 
an efficient sheaf-binder, took place at harvest-time on Mr. 
Scotson's farm at Aigburth, near Liverpool. Only three 
machines, all of American make, were brought to trial ; and 
although the Judges were of opinion that these labour-saving 
appliances had not yet been made sufficiently perfect to justify 
them in awarding the Gold INIedal, they were of opinion that 
great credit was due to the three inventions, and they recom- 
mended that a silver medal, in recognition of progress, should be 
given to Mr. W. A. Wood, and a high commendation bestowed 
on the binding mechanism employed by D. M. Osborne and Co. 
The Judges also suggested a renewal of the offer of the Gold 
Medal next year, and the Stewards having reported favourably 
of this course, the Council have acted in accordance with their 
recommendation. 
The competition for the numerous prizes offered by the Local 
Committee for the best managed Dairy (or Stock) and Arable 
Farms in the counties of Lancaster, Cheshire, Denbigh, and 
Flint, and in the Isle of Man, was very keen ; and the striking 
Reports on the two sections of the competition, written by 
Mr. J. C. Morton and Mr. S. D. Shirriff respectively, and 
