AUG. 2 
opened, it rained so frequently and heavily 
that the fair ground was seldom dry, and the 
incessant travel on it just before the openiug, 
by men, cattle, horses, carte, heavy wagons 
and ponderous machinery, made it a deep, 
muddy fallow cut up in every direction. 
The first day of the fair was bright with sun¬ 
shine, hope and the presence of the Prince of 
Wales, and a large cortege of nobility. The 
Queen was to visit the place the next day, and 
her appearance was expected to attract an 
enormous throng, as it usually docs. Next 
day, however, instead of the “Queen's weather” 
which has become proverbial for its geniality, 
a dense, dun-colored fog overspread the earth, 
like a pall, through which descended tor¬ 
rents of rain. Early in the morniug Her 
Majesty telegraphed that the downpour would 
preveut her from coming and the few visitors 
that had ventured to the place in hopes of see¬ 
ing her, moped wretchedly about or retured 
home. Next day was fine overhead, but un¬ 
derfoot the ground had become an adhesive 
bog through which venturesome pedestrians 
plodded laboriously along besmirched with 
the glutinous clay, while those less bold, 
paid more attention to picking their way than 
to the instructive sights around them. 
On Thursday it rained again, and again on 
Friday, but on Saturday morning it brightened 
up long enough to allow the Queen to make 
nearly an hour’s visit. After that, until the 
final close of the fair, on the day before yes¬ 
terday, I remember hardly a single morning or 
afternoon which was not spoilt by one or more 
showers. The ground grew simply execrable. 
Pedestrianism over the vast area became in all 
places difficult, aud in some places impossible, 
in spite of the tireless labors of the manage¬ 
ment to remedy the evil. Thousands of planks 
and a hundred tons of wattled hurdles were 
laid down to form foot-paths, while burnt 
earth and innumerable old railroad sleepers 
were placed on the roadways to render them 
passable. The mud, however, was ubiquitous. 
It oozed up through the interstices of the hur- 
aud machinery, that has j ust closed at Kilburn, 
far transcends any similar exhibition hitherto 
gotten up iu any country ; but in comparison 
with the high expections entertained of its in¬ 
structive aud financial results, no like under¬ 
taking has ever turned out such a miserable fias¬ 
co. At the lowest estimate 500,000 instruction 
and pleasure-seeking visitors were expected to 
be present; less tbuu 200,000 attended; a con¬ 
siderable addition to the funds of the Society 
was confidently counted upou, it will be fortu¬ 
nate if its reserve surplus will be sufficient to 
meet the heavy deficit of at least £15.000 incur¬ 
red. It can hardly be Baid that this woeful 
disappointment was due to mismanagement of 
any sort; if any fault on the part of the 
managers contributed to the mishap, it was 
maiuly a want of foresight in estimating the 
results, in the way of locomotion, which a 
combination of heavy rains, heavy land and 
heavy traffic must bring about. 
Seventeen years ago, when the society held 
its only previous metropolitan show at Batter¬ 
sea Park, on the Surrey side of the Thames, a 
money Iosb of £4,000 was incurred, although 
there wore 125,000 paying visitors; and m 
view of this experience aud of the risk of a 
slim attendance, that might be interred from 
the extreme uncertainty of the weather in this 
country during the present year, there might 
have beeu a trillo of imprudence iu the Socie¬ 
ty's incurring a liability for about £40,000 ere 
the show opened, although only about £8,000 
had been collected iu aid of the enterprise 
from the city of Loudon aud subscribers else¬ 
where. The spirit that animated the man¬ 
agers, however, iu getting up so splendid an 
agricultural display at this season of extreme 
agricultural depression, was worthy of no 
stinted praise, while their efforts to accomplish 
a brilliant success iu the face of all mishaps, 
was unflagging to the last, and England's 
reputation for liberality will bo sadly be¬ 
smirched should such couduct be permitted to 
bring loss or reproach upou its authors. With 
the exception of the possible imprudences 
mentioned, thu failure of the exhibition was en¬ 
tirely duo to the execrable weather, aud as this 
is a matter regulated by the sun, the cause of 
their misfortune was upwards of ninety mill¬ 
ions of miles beyond the control of the luckless 
managers. 
The Site of the Fntr, 
for sheep and pigs, on the left. Theu, on the 
left of the avenue came seven long stables for 
horses, and between them and theavenne.whieh 
here curved to the right, and were the Grand 
Stand, the large horse ri ng, and three small rings 
for the display of other stock. Beyond these 
were numerous restaurants, together with the 
dairy department on the left of the aveuue, 
the stable for foreign horses and other stock, 
on right. Every exhibit was plainly 
numbered in its proper department in the ap¬ 
propriate catalogue, and a corresponding num¬ 
ber affixed to the stand close to it, so that full 
information, with regard to everything, was 
accessible to thevisitor in possession of two cata¬ 
logues which were sold for a shilling apiece. 
Some idea of the magnitude of the show may 
be formed more clearly from a few brief facts 
than from a long disquisition. The total en¬ 
tries of live stock amounted to 3,874 including 
1,007 entries for cattle ; 841 pens of sheep, and 
211 pens of pigs. There were 815 horses, 
ponies, mules and asses, and the total length 
of shedding occupied by live stock, was six 
miles. The seeds and models occupy 3,220 
lineal feet, and the sheds for machinery in 
motion, 4,683 feet. 
A mere mention of a tithe of so many ob¬ 
jects deemed worthy of display as among the 
best or most curious of their kind, would oc¬ 
cupy far more space than the Rural could 
spare. Acting, therefore, on the principle 
that few' of the readers can miss the good 
things I’ve uot spoken of, I shall merely refer 
to a few of the exhibits likely to be of most in¬ 
terest to transatlantic readers. First of these 
come 
The American Exhibits. 
These were remarkable, not from their total 
absence, but from their extreme paucity. As 
the exhibition had long been widely advertised 
as an international affair, it was certainly to 
bo expected that the I’nited Stales would makea 
flue show of the Agricultural products which she 
is sending so ahuudanily across the Allan- 
THE RURAL 
Industrial jsorirtus, 
with corn many years and has never had rea 
son to suppose the corn crop was at all lessened 
by the turnips, for really they are not an inter¬ 
ference. They make nearly all their growth 
after the corn is ripe .—Elmira Farmers' Club. 
Hot Weather. — Beware of drinking too 
much cold water while you are working in the 
sun, aud do not plunge suddenly into a cold 
bath .”—Weekly N. Y. Herald. 
-- 
To Plaster a Cistern. —It is of importance 
that a cistern should be properly plastered in 
order to make it tight and lasting. A corres¬ 
pondent gives the following directions : Pro¬ 
cure one barrel of w r ater-liuie as new as pos¬ 
sible, aud two barrels of clean sand without 
gravel or small stones; in a long box of a con¬ 
venient size mix one part of lime to two parts 
of sand while dry. When thoroughly mixed, 
pour in water till it is thin enough to spread, 
and spread it evenly over the whole cistern. 
This done, close up the cistern and leave it a 
week or two to dry. Then mix another pailful 
of lime with two pailfuls of saiul, as before, 
but make it thin enough to be put on with a 
whitewash brush ; put on this last coat aud the 
job is done. 
--- 
Remedy for the Squash Borer. —If the 
squash vines suffer from the borer it is recom¬ 
mended to dig a trench a few inches deep, for 
each vino, and cover it up, of course letting 
the leaves reach above the earth. The borer 
destroys the plant, near the root, but vines thus 
buried, will send out roots along the stalk, and 
there will be squashes in spite of the pest. 
ksfrial Implement 
EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENCE. 
The Great Agricultural Show at Kilburn. 
London, July 11. 
The largest and finest show ever held by the 
Royal.Agricultural Society of England during 
its existence of forty-one years, has just ended 
in the saddest failure that has tarnished its re¬ 
cords. In the number and character of its ex- 
liiVtlLa (1w< Hikttlfiv Af ft tri’lf'ii 11 ti rfl I nmihwta t/inlo 
through Hyde Park by way of the Marble 
Arch, from which it is distant only a couple 
of miles, straight up the Edgwarc. Road. 
The fair opened on Monday, June 30, and 
closed on the following Monday, so far as the 
cattle and most of the other departments were 
concerned, but owing to the scant opportunity 
the weather allowed for properly exhibiting 
the machinery, that department was kept 
open, at the reduced admission fee of one 
shilling, until the following Thursday, and so 
deep is the mud at present that there seems 
little prospect of the removal of any of the 
heavy goods perhaps for weeks to come. 
The Heather 
this season has been a relentless foe to the 
trance a broad roadway extended to the other 
end of the immense field, dividing it into two 
nearly equal sections. Along this ran a tram- 
car impelled by 6team, which afforded the 
public, an easy moans of locomotion. On each 
side of the central avenue, at right angles to it, 
stretched long rows of temporary sheds for 
the shelter and display of exhibits. For con¬ 
venience of access, four cross avenues, parallel 
with the central one, two on each side of 
it, cut these rows of stands at nearly equal in¬ 
tervals. Just inside the boundary wall, on 
each Bide of the main entrance, exteuded the 
sheds for the display of all kinds of seeds, 
foods, manures, models, etc.,—and a splendid 
display it was. Beyond these and stretching 
LORD EXETER’S “ TELEMACHU8 9TH." 
farmer. Not content with having cut woefully 
short the just rewards for his labors in the 
field, it has now rendered abortive his best ef¬ 
forts to make this, his great aunual show, a 
success. For weeks before the exhibition 
along both sides, were ten shedfuls of ma¬ 
chinery in motion, driven by a crowded line of 
steam-engines, nearly a mile in length. B.e- 
yond the seed stands were rows of sheds for 
the exhibition of implements; then sheds for 
a splendid lot they were. Of the three judges 
of this breed, one had been selected from Eng¬ 
land. another from Ireland and the third from 
Scotland. In the cluss for hulls over three 
years old, the first prize was won by Anchor, 
an Irish beast, that bore away the first prize in 
his class at the Dublin fairs three years in suc¬ 
cession. He is a remarkably high animal, but 
deep proportionately. He was bred by Mr. 
Richard Chaloner, of Moyalty, County Meath, 
but is now owned by Lord Ratbdonnell. A 
special prize of £100 for the best Short-horn 
bull at the fair was awarded to Telemachus 
9th, the property of Lord Exeter. This award 
did not give general satisfaction, as many 
were of opinion that the prize should have 
been given to Anchor. Mr. Cbal- 
oner, the breeder of the latter, was 
v the Irish judge, and declined to give 
BA an opinion in this case. Of the two 
BaB&y other judges, one was iu favor of 
Anchor and the other of Telcma- 
ehus. A third waB then selected, 
who, after some hesitation, voted 
the honor and cash to Lord Exe¬ 
ter’s beast. Another special prize 
of £100 for the best Short-horn cow 
was won by Mr. Hutchison’s Gainful 
The same owner’s Grateful, Mr. Foljame’s 
Azucena and Lord Fitzhardinge’s Lady Wild- 
eyes were first in their respective classes, while 
Sea Gull, with her two fine sons, Telemachus 
6 th and 9th, and her daughters, Sea Bird and 
Sea Lark, carried off the prize for the best 
group of mother and two or more offsprings. 
Of Herefords there were only 62 entered, but 
some of these were remarkably fine animate. 
The champion prize of £50 for the best bull of 
that breed at the fair, was won by Mr. Roger’s 
Grateful, which also was awarded the first 
prize for bulls over three years old. Many 
thought Mr. Taylor’s bull Thoughtful, which 
was placed second to him, would rank first. 
Both are excellent specimens of this fine breed. 
—[Continued next week.] Theber. 
THE PERFECT HOG-RING. 
Mr. J. H. Brown, of Ottawa, Ill., sent us, 
some time ago, some of his ” Perfect" hog- 
rings for trial. We have used the ring on the 
Rural Experiment Farm, and have also distrib- 
ute( * 8 ° rae wntrag ueigh- 
'.Qj\ bors. We ean say that the 
r ' n £ s sustained the claims 
made for them, and have 
\ proved entirely servicea- 
Xiaa/ ble. Several peculiarities 
of construction commend them. The ring- 
coppered wire—is smooth in the animal’s nose, 
the point being pushed quite through and into 
the loop above the snout, when it is bent, 
slightly forward, making a secure fastening. 
We noticed, too, that the point works down 
aud points over the nose, and acts as a barb 
if the animal attempts to root, but hangs with¬ 
out cansing irritation when rooting is not at¬ 
tempted. The perfectly smooth wire works 
easily in the nose, and we did not observe an 
instance where the snout was at all in a fester¬ 
ing condition; hence there could be no liabil¬ 
ity of the ring’s working out of the nose. 
We have had an illustration made of the 
rings before and after being locked, which 
shows how it is operated. It is a simple matter 
to slip on the ring the discs we have shown, 
which can, very conveniently, be stamped with 
distinguishing marks. Mr. Brown may be com¬ 
municated with, if further information is de¬ 
sired. 
-♦ ♦ » - - — 
THE WOOD BINDER. 
at Kilburn, In the northwestern outskirts of 
Londou, was. six or seven weeks ago, a low, 
flat pasture of a trifle over a hundred acres of 
stiff clay soil. Siuee its selection as the scone of 
the exhibition, tbo Society expended more thau 
£2,000 in draining it; but, owing to the very 
tenacious nature of the soil, the underground 
drains failed to work well. The place is 
readily accessible from all parts of Loudon by 
means of three railroad liues, quite a large 
number of omnibus lines aud two train or 
street car lines converging from the north and 
east. It is also within easy reach of the aris¬ 
tocratic regions of Pimlico and Belgravia, 
uics, anu in many eabes completely uurieii 
them. It covered the planks, and rendered 
them as slippery as ice. It gave its own yel¬ 
lowish hue to the clothing of the visitors and 
to the coats of the stock. The condition of 
some of the latter was truly pitiable. Mauy 
of them, worth several hundred pounds, were 
lying or standing in pools of water, with their 
normal appearance and, it is feared, their 
health, seriously impaired. Trenches were 
sometimes dug round the stalls, but these soon 
brimmed over and failed to keep the lairs dry. 
In many places the men iu charge of the ani¬ 
mate, having vainly tried to provide comforta¬ 
ble quarters for their proteges, might be seen 
stretched by their sides and sharing their 
discomforts. Those whom duty or pleasure 
brought to Kilburu Fair are not likely soon to 
forget its countless aunoyances. 
The Arrangement of the Fair, 
however, was excellent. From the main en- 
tic. This expectation, however, was blankly 
disappointed. Of the few exhibits from 
that country, by far the most noteworthy 
were those of the agricultural implement 
makers, several of whom have large establish¬ 
ments iu tliis country also. There was not a 
siugle head of stock of any kiud shown by an 
American—uot cveu a dead carcas. although 
several prizes were offered by the Corporation 
of Loudon. A solitary St. Louis Arm, how¬ 
ever, exhibited canued beef. There were a 
dozen samples of American butter. Mr. Mur¬ 
ray, of New York, winuing one prize, and Mr. 
Stewart, of Farley Creamery, Iowa, another. 
The transatlantic competition in cheese was 
represented by just a dozen specimens shown 
by a Mr. G. Morton, a Canadian. 
The Exhibition or Cattle 
was larger aud finer than at any former show 
in this country. As usual, the Short-horns at¬ 
tracted the greatest amount of attention, and 
In the report of the machinery at the impor¬ 
tant fair held in Kilburn, Eng., the Agricultu¬ 
ral Gazette, speaking of the Wood binder says: 
“Since last year the binding apparatus has 
been improved and the capacity of the machine 
for cutting, elevating, and binding heavy crops 
increased, whilst it will biud light crops equally 
well. Mr. Wood has been guided by the ex¬ 
perience of those using his binder. The writer 
has examiued the machine iu a field of over¬ 
ripe wheat matted with bindweed, when he had 
different speeds tried, arid found that the fas¬ 
ter the horses moved the better the delivery. 
Along with some farmers present, he. could not 
find any shedding of corn from the fall of the 
sheaf, whilst it is, moreover, free from the 
liability of being dragged along. Before leav¬ 
ing Mr. Wood's binders It is but fair to state 
that since last year be has beeu instrumental 
in setting at rest the prejudice against wire by 
the introduction of magnets. Through the in¬ 
defatigable exertion of his agents throughout 
the length aud breadth of the United States, 
millers and farmers now join hands iu favor of 
wire binding; aud whilst magnets are empow¬ 
ering millets to grind finer flour for the Eng¬ 
lish market, English farmers and millers ean 
only fight this batile of opposition successfully 
by using the same weapons, viz. wire binders 
and magnets.” 
