General Report on the Newcastle Meeting. 393 
we know that on this occasion they were all home on the 
Saturday night. The best thanks of the Society were very 
properly presented to the North-Eastern Directors for the great 
facilities they afforded ; not the least of which was the omnibus 
service provided, which was an immense accommodation to the 
public. 
And lastly, the Society beg most gratefully to acknowledge the 
hospitality of the Mayor, Sheriff, and Corporation of Newcastle. 
It would be invidious to draw any comparisons, especially as the 
Society are generally so kindly treated wherever they go ; but 
this they can say, that those who were fortunate enough to profit 
by the kindness of the authorities of Newcastle, will bear away 
with them a very pleasant recollection of the Royal Agricultural 
Society's Meeting at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 
We may further express a hope that this visit of our Society, 
and its efforts to manifest the efficiency of steam-culture, may 
leave some permanent impress on the agriculture of the North- 
East. The level plains of tenacious soil which lie both north 
and south of Newcastle, especially call for the action of steam 
wherever the plough or cultivator is set to work, and however 
much the present state of our general markets may favour an 
increase of pasturage in a comparatively moist climate, still the 
collieries of this district demand supplies both for man and 
horse, which must in part be provided near at hand. The steam- 
horse is at least as much wanted here on the surface of the 
land, as the quadruped is indispensable in the pit. 
The Reports of the various Judges which follow have been 
prepared for the press with as much despatch as was compatible 
with a careful verification and revision of the important tables 
attached to some of them. 
Steam cultivation having become a subject of national import- 
ance, the Society decided upon making their last annual trial 
a much more extensive and complete test than had been possible 
at any previous Meeting. Accordingly they placed at the dis- 
posal of the Judges upwards of 150 acres of land, partly clover- 
ley and partly stubble from last year's crop. The fields were 
level, of good rectangular shape, sufficiently large, and, though 
in three occupations, adjacent one to the other ; being all in the 
parish of Long Benton, about four miles from Newcastle. The 
soil was remarkably uniform throughout, consisting of a deep 
strong loam, generally free from stones, sufficiently stiff to afford 
an excellent test of the capabilities of the different inventions for 
ordinary work. Any terms we may employ to describe the soil 
must necessarily be so indefinite, that a suggestion of one of the 
