Report on the Trials of Implements at Cardiff. 405 
neighbouring iron-workers and colliers at Tredegar, that they 
would abstain altogether from meat until they could have it at 
6c?. per lb. Perhaps some of those who thus showed their igno- 
\ ranee of the laws that govern the prices of food may have subse- 
quently learned, by a visit to the Show-yard, how the complexity 
and costliness of farm-work, resulting, among other causes, from 
the scarcity of labour, is barely balanced by the increased value 
of some of its products. 
The first visit of the Society to Wales did not result in any 
such diminution in the number of implements shown as might 
have been anticipated from the distance of the chosen locality 
from the chief centres of their manufacture. It is true that the 
number of entries were fewer, but the visitor soon found it a 
matter of congratulation rather than regret that, while the agricul- 
tural articles were amply exhibited in all their varieties, a large 
proportion of those miscellaneous objects that have lately encum- 
bered the ground were absent. 
In the early days of the Society agricultural implements exhi- 
bited were so few that the visitor might find time to examine all, 
and yet have ample leisure to look at objects that contribute to the 
comfort and convenience of the farm-house, though not strictly 
agricultural in their use. Of late years there has been a wish, 
not merely to limit the number of miscellaneous articles, but to 
prevent the exhibition of more than one agricultural implement 
of the same construction by one maker, and even to prevent 
the admission of a duplicate, though shown by another exhi- 
bitor. The latter suggestion, made in the Oxford Report of 
1870, would effectually shut out agents as exhibitors, and might 
perhaps in some cases exclude valuable exhibits. We think that 
there would be less objection to drawing a distinction between 
makers and agents, charging the latter the extra rate now required 
from the miscellaneous exhibitors. 
One main object of our meeting is to give facilities to farmers 
for acquiring the earliest information of mechanical improve- 
ments. We also wish to give purchasers an opportunity of 
comparing similar implements from different factories, and gene- 
rally to lessen the commercial distance between the maker and the 
purchaser. It would be far easier to discover and examine new 
implements if the number of entries were yet further reduced 
below the comparatively moderate number of 5843 that occu- 
pied about 40 acres in the Show-yard. A second improvement 
is also worthy of note ; the stands were better grouped at Cardiff 
than we have seen them elsewhere, so that makers of similar 
classes of implements were usually found in close proximity. 
Cathay's Park, kindly lent by the Marquess of Bute, within a 
minute's walk of the town, enclosed by high stone walls and sur- 
