ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SHOW.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 1 September 1909, Page 6

ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SHOW.

The agricultural show of the Royal Agricultural Society, held at Gloucester, England, on June 22, seems to have been an unqualified success in every respect except as regards the weather, which was cold and showery, and naturally affected ! the attendance This peripatetic show of England opened on the Tuesday and remained open until Saturday — five days. Immense interest seems to have been taken in the great fixture of -this year, I and the entnes in all classes were good, ' especially in the horse sections. The g^atral description of the show is interesting reading, as showing the great advances that are being made in • agricultural science in England at the present i time, and although we in New Zealand are opt to look upon the Old. Country as being toa conservative and be-hind the times as regards agricultural pursuits,..the facts that are laid before us clearly I prove that Great Britain/is decidedlywaking up in her methods and practices !of farming Th« show -which took _ place i in June last was the 70th show of the i Royal Agricultural Society,, and was i honoured by a visit from hi& Majesty I the King, who made a very thorough ! inspection of the exhibition of live stock. , On the show ground hi* Maiesty received an address from the Royal Agricultural I College, Cirencester, to which he replied i that from his youth he had taken the [ warmest interest in agriculture. It was j a source of livelihood and support tohundreds of thousands of his people, and, upon it the prosperity ot the country ; largely depended. His Majesty further stated that in agriculture, as ir all other , industries, scientific research has effected great improvements. The simple methods j which the farmers of bygone times found profitable and efficient have now given J place to systems of cultivation whidh ! were then unknown. The success of the , farmer of to-day is dependent not merely ! on his industry and economical manage- | ment r but on the possession and appi«-. cation of special knowledge. Such special j knowledge can only be obtained by instruction and scientific investigation, and he therefore cordially welcomed the enlargement of the scope' of the work of the Royal Agricultural College, and said that j" im^ei its new -organisation it v will have 1 greater opportunities /or the Efficient perj formance of its import ant duties, and for j the continuance and extension o. its in1 valuable' work. The King' is said to have I received a great reception at the show, 1 for the good reason that "the whole com- • m unity is acquainted with the personality , of his Majesty, and where he goes the spirit of enthusiasm always runs high. It is extremely interesting to learn that the great Royal Show of England, taken agriculturally and educationally, was as • near perfection as it is possible for a show to be. Added to this the situation was , an ideal one, and visitors when once j inside the gates faund tnemselves in a show yard as level as a. billiard table, with no obstacles to interfere with the compactness and order of the arrangements. An interesting part of the great exhibition at Gloucester was devoted to horticulture, and, according to competent authorities, it was the finest display of its kind out of London. It was fitting that the "Royal" should have the best in flowers, as in everything else, and we are told that to visitors it was a relief to turn from the splendid show of stock and implements for a spell, and find rest for the eye on beds of flowers outside, and rock gardens, which looked as if they wire permanent fixtures in the show ground rather thai creations of . the previous week or so. From an -educational point of view the great English show . seems to have eclipsed previous efforts of , the Royal Agricultural Society, and the | exhibition of live stock must have been. , an education to visitors from this Dominion. From th-e fact that most of the , best live stock shown at the larger agricultural shows in this Dominion is diiectly descended from stock which has j been figuring prominently at the Royal j Show in the Mother Country, the successes of the English exhibition will be I of interest to farmers generally in New Zealand.