Miscellaneous Implements Exhibited at Chester. 571 
years conducted experiments in the improvement of cereals, by 
crossing the indigenous and cultivated varieties of wheat, barley, 
and oats respectively, from all quarters of the globe, in such a 
manner as to develop the best features in each, whilst eliminating 
undesirable characteristics. The microscope plays an important 
part in their investigations. I understand that a visit to the 
experimental plots at Newton-le- Willows has been made since 
the Chester Meeting by the Consultiug Botanist of the Society, 
and I therefore leave in his more competent hands any detailed 
account of Messrs. Garton’s experiments. 
In closing this report we wish to express our sincere thanks 
to the exhibitors, who were all most civil and obliging ; to the 
gentlemen who placed land at our disposal for trials of implements ; 
and to the Stewards of Implements, who, with the Society’s 
Engineers, rendered us most kind and efficient assistance. 
Jas. Edwards. 
TYPICAL FARMS IN CHESHIRE AND 
NORTH WALES. 
For a number of years prior to 1870 reports were annually 
published in the Journal on the agriculture of the different 
counties of England and AVales. In the year named a system 
of Farm Prize Competitions was established by the Society, the 
competition in each year being confined to the district in which 
the Society’s Show was held. The earlier essays were much 
valued in their day, for the Farm Prize system stimulated agri- 
cultural progress, and, through the reports upon the successful 
farms in the Society’s Journal, brought under the prominent 
notice of the agricultural world the most approved systems of hus- 
bandry and stock management throughout the country, to the 
general advantage of the agricultural community. A period of 
twenty-two years of Farm Prize Competitions has enabled the 
Society to award premiums throughout the whole country, and 
the Council recently determined to discontinue the system, and 
to institute a new method by appointing a Commissioner to 
inspect and report in the Journal upon certain selected farms, 
typical of the varying systems of agriculture within the district 
in which the Country Meeting of the Society should be held. 
How far this experiment may prove useful remains to be seen, 
but the regulations imposed clearly defined that the inspection 
was not to be looked upon in the light of a competition, and that 
comparisons were not to be indulged in which would extol or 
condemn the prevailing systems of one occupier in relation to 
those of another. 
