186 
Yorkshire Agricultural Show. 
vision fences of the fields of hawthorn hedge, 
which, contrasted with the walls in front, 
add much to the variety and beauty of the 
country. As we approached Yorkshire the 
hills receded, and crossing the branches of 
the Humber, the country became quite flat, 
partaking something of the same character 
as the fens of Lincolnshire on the opposite 
side, so that we lost little in the way of 
scenery, by night shutting in an hour or two 
before our arrival at Hull. As usual upon 
such occasions, the town was overflowing 
with strangers, the inns were full and not a 
bed to be had ; but we considered ourselves 
rather the gainers this time by the circum¬ 
stance, as we were directed to very agree¬ 
able private lodgings, where the good people 
did their best to make us feel at home and as 
comfortable as possible. 
The show took place the next day on the 
Dock Green, close adjoining the town, and 
was conducted on much the same plan as 
that of the Royal Agricultural Society at 
Liverpool, save that the proceedings were 
pretty much all crowded into one day, and 
if they were not on quite so grand a scale, 
they were rather more sociable and equally 
agreeable. Plows, harrows, scarifiers, and 
other implements were tried in a field a short 
distance off in the morning, and then the cat¬ 
tle-yard was opened at the reasonable charge 
of one shilling to the public—gentlemen from 
foreign countries having a free ticket polite¬ 
ly tendered them to this as well as to the 
dinner. There were full 350 animals pre¬ 
sent, and in horses, Short Horn cattle, and 
Long-woolled sheep, the show was decidedly 
superior to that at Liverpool; but the variety 
and different breeds of stock were not near 
as great. There were at least 120 head of 
Short Horns, and the most superb lot that we 
ever saw together, or shall expect soon to 
witness again, and in many cases the judges 
were almost at fault in deciding between the 
respective aspirants to their favor. Among 
the horses we saw hunters, roadsters, hack- 
nies and cart-horses, all excellent animals, but 
we thought no way superior for our pur¬ 
poses to the splendid breeds that we already 
possess at home. The sheep generally pre¬ 
sented an unnatural fatness that we do not 
admire ; so also with some two or three 
Short Horns exhibited as fat animals; there is 
a bound to this sort of thing that we cannot 
think it profitable to pass. The swine were 
of two classes, one of medium size, very fine, 
the other large and somewhat coarse. 
Many agricultural implements and seeds 
were at the exhibition, and some sheep net¬ 
ting that we afterwards saw considerably in 
use for folding instead of hurdles, and of 
which we think very highly. It is as dura¬ 
ble as hurdles, and perhaps not one twenti¬ 
eth part as heavy; it makes with a few 
stakes an equally secure fence, is handled 
with more ease, and of course much quick¬ 
er. The cost for the best quality of tarred 
twine is very reasonable, cheaper than hur¬ 
dles, and in case it should be wanted, we 
would recommend its introduction into Ame¬ 
rica, though we think for our purposes it 
should be four instead of three feet high. 
Rather over £800 (about $4,000) were 
distributed in prizes on this occasion, which 
is liberal for a single county, although that 
of York is perhaps twice as extensive as any 
other Shire in England, and improved stock 
is its peculiar feature of agriculture. We 
don’t know' that our readers wmuld feel par¬ 
ticularly interested in having a report of all 
the names of the successful competitors at 
this exhibition, and were we to name but a 
few it might seem invidious; we therefore 
pass them over in silence. 
These matters all settled we come to the 
dinner, and as a celebrated reader of Ho¬ 
mer’s Iliad, considered that the feasting 
of the heroes were the most interesting 
passages of this immortal epic, why should 
not that of the farmers of Yorkshire be the 
same to those of our own country, particu¬ 
larly as we have no new arrangement of cat¬ 
tle sheds, and other mighty matters to pre¬ 
sent them, other than we described in our 
first No. at Liverpool. 
The tables being lettered, and every plate 
numbered, with their tickets in hand, each 
guest found his place without confusion, but 
if perchance he happened to forget himself 
and make a mistake, he never took the trou¬ 
ble of going round, but very unceremonious¬ 
ly leaped on to the table with one foot, and 
down on the opposite side w r ith the other, to 
get across. As we we are not particularly 
ambitious of becoming the Trollope or Ham¬ 
ilton of English “ Manners,” we forbear 
comments that will suggest themselves to 
our readers. 
Lord Wharncliff, the president of the 
Society, presided, and had to his right and 
left a respectable sprinkling of noblemen, 
knights, M. P.’s, and Esquires, among w-hom 
we noticed that steadfast and unwavering 
friend to agriculture, the celebrated Earl 
Spencer. There were 1,200 seats provided, 
and the tables nearly full. 
We had plenty to eat of the different 
kinds of cold meats boiled and roasted, ham 
