GLIMPSES OF WESTEKN EUKOPE. 
129 
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL EXHIBITION. 
This year the Exhibition of the Royal Agricultural Society has also parta¬ 
ken of the international character; the ditierent classes being “open to the 
world.” The exhibition is being held in a portion of Battersea Park, which 
lies on the south side of the Thames, three or four miles above London 
Bridge. Grounds fitted up with temporary structures, consisting of simple 
sheds for stock, wide enough for two tiers ot animals, head to head, covered 
with canvas, and arranged in straight lines across the entire grounds, with 
avenues between. Animals, so classified that all of one genus, race, and 
breed are found together. Implements, machines and products of the earth 
also under similar sheds. 
Several features of these exhibitions are worthy of note, as dilfering from 
ours. First, the entries are all required to be made long enough before the 
exhibition to allow of the preparation and printing of a full catalogue of an¬ 
imals and articles to be exhibited; the live-stock catalogue being distinct 
fiom that embracing machinery, implements and manufactured articles. Sec¬ 
ondly, these catalogues are sold to such as want them. The sales of cata¬ 
logues of tliis exhibition have amounted to $5,2.50 and would have reached a 
higher sum had the edition not been exhausted. Price, 25 cts. Third, ani¬ 
mals are bet er classified than we usually find them in America—not alone, 
all animals of a breed being together, but also all of a breed whose age is the 
same, so that each committee as well as the public can more easily compare 
them. Fourth, the judges have the tirst day entirely to themselves; the 
public not being admitted until after the awards have been made and the 
prize badges put on. Under this arrangement the exhibition is much more 
instructive and the judges do their work better than under any other. Fifth, 
the rates of admission differ for different days—a very important thing here 
in London, where the crowd is usually so immense that the aristocracy 
would rather pay ten prices and have the grounds a little more to themselves. 
This year the Society have varied this rule of excluding the public on the 
judges’ day, by admitting all who chose to pay $5 each for admission. Num¬ 
ber of visitors over 1100. Lowest price on regular days, 25 cts. Sixth, all 
persons entering the grounds pass through a revolving gate, which passes but 
one person at a time and registers him as he goes. No swindling collusions 
between ticket sellers and gate keepers. Seventh, the producers and manu¬ 
facturers here turn out with the evident intention on the part of each that 
his department and class shall rank No. 1—and this, although the premiums 
are not proportionally so much larger than with us at home. 
The Exhibition is really magnificent—the finest, it is said, ever held in 
England, or in any other part of the world. In the department of horses, 
the breeds styled “Agricultural”—including Suffolks, Clydesdales and mis¬ 
cellaneous breeds—are most numerous and interesting. One of the t lydes- 
dale stallions, “Champion,” aged six years, weighs twenty-five hundred and 
seventy-six pounds, ond looks as though he might draw off all London, if 
fairly hitched to it. The carriage horse here is generally a cross of the Thor- 
ougli-bred with tlie ‘Cleveland Bay. Roadsters not numerous, and not su¬ 
perior. Thorough-breds few in number, but very fine. The cattle make a 
great show; there being, of British breeds, 250 short-horns, 123 Herefords, 
66 Devons, 29 Sussexes, 20 Jersevs, 16 long-horns, 25 Norfolk and Suffolk 
Polled cattle, 11 Guernseys, 17 Polled Aberdeens and Anguses, 20 Gallo¬ 
ways, 27 Highlands, 69 Ayrshires, 11 Welch cattle, and a few Kerries from 
Ireland; of foreign breeds, 48 French representatives, 60 Dutch, Flemish 
and Swiss. The sheep department includes nearly all the breeds of Great 
Britian and the Continent; the South-Downs, Shropshires, Cotswolds, 
Leicesters, Oxfordshire Downs, Hampshire Downs and black-faced sheep, 
ranging about in the order named, and being the most prominent. Whole 
number of entries, 793 ; of which 202 were Downs. Merinoes not in favor 
here. In the swine department, the general classification is by size and 
color. Smaller white breeds seem to have rather the preference. Number 
of entries, 192; many of them pens of three or more. Amount of prizes 
awarded in Live Stock Department of Exhibition, $20,000. Fair show of 
seeds and other agricultural prodqcta by the Highland Agricultural Society 
9 Ag. Trans. 
