Royal Agricultural Society : Oxford, 1839; Cambridge, 1840. 223 
Cambridge Meeting, 1840. 
The first Country Meeting having been held in one Uni- 
versity town, it was but natural that the other should be 
similarly honoured, and, even before the Committee quitted Ox- 
ford, a requisition to that effect was presented from Cambridge. 
Two days later (on July 20) the second annual Stock Fair took 
place at the latter town, and at an “ ordinary ” held in the after- 
noon at the Red Lion Hotel, the proposal to hold the 1840 Meeting 
at Cambridge was viewed with cordiality by Mr. Jonas Webb, Mr. 
Witt, and others, who had just returned from the Oxford Show. 
A local committee was appointed, with the Mayor (Mr. R. Foster) 
as its chairman, and Mr. F. Barlow as secretary, and the Minutes 
of this Committee show how zealously they worked to secure the 
success of the Meeting, being in constant communication with 
the Society’s Secretary, Mr. James Hudson, who had, on July 24, 
been appointed to that office on the resignation of Mr. Shaw. 
We find here, amongst other matters, the proud intima- 
tion to Mr. Barlow that “ our title is ‘ Royal Agricultural 
Society of England ’ ” (a Royal Charter having been granted 
by Her Majesty on March 26, 1840); an application from. 
Messrs. Ransome for an area of 30 yards by 15 yards, “ they to 
be at the expense of fencing, &c.,” with similar requests from 
other implement-makers ; an expression of a desire that the 
ordinary on the first day “ should bear a good price, in order 
that the great dinner the next day may be offered to the 
farmers at the lowest possible rate ; ” an intimation that “ the 
sealed award of the Judges would be opened at the ordinary,” 
and “ catalogues ready by next morning,” and that “ no atten- 
dant is to accompany stock into the yard except in case of bulls 
and stallions ; ” a minute to the effect that “ a great incon- 
venience having been felt at Oxford from the want of places to put 
hats in the great dining-hall, it is now proposed to remedy that 
inconvenience by nailing a piece of twine opposite each seat on 
the under-side of the table, to which the band of the hat may 
be tied — nails, twine, and labour for 2,500 hats, 1Z. 10s. ; ” and 
so forth. Could anything show greater concern for the comfort 
of the guests than this last entertaining minute ? 
The Prize Sheet for the Cambridge Meeting amounted in 
all to 900Z., as against 890Z. at Oxford. The prizes for Short- 
horns, Herefords, Devons, and Other Breeds were repeated as 
before, with the addition of a Yearling Bull prize for each breed. 
The prizes offered at Oxford for Dairy Cows and Oxen were not 
given again, but the value of the two prizes for Cart Horses was 
increased at Cambridge from 20Z. and 10Z. to30Z. and 15Z. The 
