i805.] Proceedings of Agricultural Societies; 215

merville on Tueſday, at. Freemaſons" Tavern. There:prevailed, through the whole hall, that entire fellowſhip which ought to ſubhit among men en- Zaged in honorable cmulation. Peers of the higheſt rank, and men of the moſt opulent fortune, ſat promiſcuouſly with their tenants and tradeſme2n, and therereigned through the whole Meeting. but one ſentiment--that of re- ceiving and communicating information, From every part of. the kingdom there were perluns who had devoted their time, fortune, Kill, and attention» fo the improvement of agriculture; and by whoſe efforts we have riſen to our. preſent eminence in rural economy.

Dinner over, Lord Somerville, aiter giving his Majeſty's health, with thanks for his patronage of agriculture, proceeded to the adjudication of the. prizes, He read tbe paper of inſtructions given by him to the five Judges, and then opened the ſeal of their paper» They unanimoyſly voted the. prizes as follow:--

1. Cup, valve thirty guineas, to Mr. Hudſon, for the beſt, yoke of 0oXen» 2. Cup, value twenty guineas, to Mr. Webber, for the ſecond beſt.

As father and ſon had, the one bred and the other worked and fattened the 'oxen, the noble Lord preſented to each a cup.

3. Cup, valüe thirty guineas, to Mr. Ellman, for the beſt five ewe-hogs.

4+ Cup, value twenty guincas, to the Duke of Bedford, for the five but wethers.

5. Cup, value ten guineas, to the Duke of Bedford, for the beſt ſow.

"The noble Duke ſtated, that this ſow was bred.by Mr. Iſled, a neighbour, and that he had not the'merit. He had only fed the animal. He therefore, with his LordIhip's leave, would tranſmit the cup to his neighbour.

The two prizes of ix guincas:and foui' guimeas for the beit Mepherds, were adjudged to the Mhepherds of Mr. Eliman and the Duke of. Bedfor upon certihcates, which did infinite credit to their ſkill and.attention, d The firſt, out of 701 lambs, loſt but 193 the other, out of 471, lo, but 11.

The noble Lord made appropriate ſpetches on preſenting the cups to the ſeveral ſacceſsfül candidates, and be delivered ſeveral others, particularly one which he gave to Lord Minto, to be preſented to Mr, Robſon, of Rox- burghſhire, who kad(ent ſome admirable carcaſes of mutton, fed on his mountain farm; the only perſon northof the Tweed who had contributed to the(how.

The Duke of Bedford, in a ſhort elegant ſpeech, pointed:y enuwerated

. the national obligations to Lord Somerville, for the emulation he had ſo nobly excited in the four years that he had held out theſe prizes, and invited the ſkilfal to aſſemble in this manner. The exhibition of this year was a molt noble and gratifying reward for his exertions; and he was ſure they would all heartily concur to drink his health.

Lord Somerville returned thanks for tbe warm teſtimony of approbatien

* with which his name was received.

"The noble Lord then ſtated, that, for the furtherance of the objets which they all had in view, the ſame prizes would be offered for the enſuing year. In the printed regulations there were ſome alterations, a8 well as a new prize, to which he begged leave to draw their attention.;

In the firſt prize for the beſt and ſecond=beit yoke of oxen, he propoſed, that they ſhould not be let up from work till'between the zoth and zoth of

; May, which was tfeveral day's Iater than heretöfore, as. by this means they

ight bewſefully employed in finiſhing the ſpring work. Little graſs would m loſt, and they wovld be jult nine m mths-in finiſhing far the how, which be uld take place on the 34 and ath of March, 1206. "woes. Mag. Fol. 12. Gg