xxxii  Report  to  the  General  Meeting. 
as  usual,  be  the  principal  day  of  the  show.  In  order,  however, 
to  meet  the  wishes  of  the  Members  and  the  public,  heretofore  so 
often  expressed  on  this  subject,  that  a longer  period  should  be 
allowed  for  the  due  inspection  of  the  live  stock  by  all  parties 
attending  the  meeting  than  the  single  day  hitherto  devoted  to 
that  object,  the  Council  have  decided  this  year  to  try,  as  an  ex- 
periment, the  extension  of  that  period  from  one  day  to  a day  and 
a half — namely,  on  the  Thursday,  as  formerly,  and  on  the  Friday 
from  six  o’clock  in  the  morning  till  noon,  when  the  stock  will  be 
at  liberty  to  leave  the  yard  ; the  result  of  which  experiment  will 
be  a guide  to  the  Council  in  their  arrangement  for  future  years. 
The  entries  for  implements  and  stock  for  the  Exeter  Meeting 
promise  to  be  as  numerous  as  for  the  previous  country  meetings 
of  the  Society ; and  the  various  railway  companies  have  received 
the  application  of  the  Council  for  concessions  in  favour  of  the 
Society’s  exhibitors,  in  a spirit  no  less  courteous  than  in  former 
years,  and  there  is  every  probability  of  an  extension,  on  their 
part,  of  privileges  no  less  liberal  than  heretofore,  thus  aiding 
by  their  powerful  co-operation  the  national  objects  of  the  Society. 
The  Council  have  accepted  from  Mr.  Slaney,  M.P.,  a renewal  of 
his  prizes  for  ploughs  to  cut  out  to  a certain  extent,  and  to  fill 
in,  drains ; and  from  the  South  Devon  Association  a schedule  of 
prizes  for  their  local  breed  of  stock,  known  as  the  South  Hams 
Cattle  : all  of  which  prizes  will  be  open  to  general  competition, 
under  the  general  regulations  of  the  Society.  The  Council  have 
also  accepted  the  kind  offers  of  Sir  Thomas  Dyke  Acland,  Bart., 
M.P.,  and  Mr.  Turner,  of  Barton,  to  submit  to  the  Members, 
during  the  period  of  the  Exeter  Meeting,  the  construction  and 
operation  of  their  catch  and  water  meadows,  and  to  take  mea- 
sures for  explaining  on  the  spot,  to  all  such  visitors  as  will  favour 
them  with  their  company  on  the  occasion,  the  theory  and  prac- 
tice of  irrigation  in  Devonshire.  Mr.  Hamond,  of  Westacre 
Hall,  in  Norfolk,  has  accepted  the  new  appointment  of  steward- 
elect  of  implements  at  the  Exeter  Meeting,  agreeably  with  the 
arrangement  adopted  for  the  first  time  this  year,  by  which  an 
opportunity  will  be  afforded  to  the  junior  steward  of  implements 
