ntlemen of position placed their treasures of
art and art manufacture at the disposal of the Committee for a time, and
the result was the collecting together of so rich a store that the
London papers pronounced it to be after the "Great Exhibition" and the
Manchester one, the most successful, both as regarded contents and
attendance, of any Exhibition therebefore held out of the Metropolis.
There were specimens of some of the greatest achievements in the arts of
painting, sculpture, porcelain and pottery, carving and enamelling;
ancient and modern metalwork, rich old furniture, armour, &c, that had
ever been gathered together, and there can be little doubt that the
advance which has since taken place in the scientific and artistic trade
circles of the town spring in great measure from this Exhibition.--On
the 28th of August, 1865, an Industrial Exhibition was opened at Bingley
Hall, and so far as attendance went, it must take first rank, 160,645
visitors having passed the doors.

_Agricultural Exhibitions_.--The Birmingham Agricultural Exhibition
Society, who own Bingley Hall, is the same body as the old Cattle Show
Society, the modern name being adopted in 1871. As stated elsewhere, the
first Cattle Show was held in Kent Street, Dec. 10, 1849; the second in
Bingley Hall, which was erected almost solely for the purposes of this
Society, and here they have acquired the name of being the best in the
kingdom. To give the statistics of entries, sales, admissions, and
receipts at all the Shows since 1849, would take more space than can be
afforded, and though the totals would give an idea of the immense
influence such Exhibitions must have on the welfare and prosperity of
the agricultural community, the figures themselves would be but dry
reading, and those for the past few years will suffice.

1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883.
Cattle ................... 113 125 152 108 161 150 101
Sheep .................... 69 91 64 47 88 85 75
Pigs ..................... 64 73 52 60 58 67 69
Corn ..................... 27 58 29 36 55 67 66
Roots .................... 94 112 175 182 124 131 117
Potatoes ................. 76 116 138 88 104 96 187
Poultry .................. 2077 2149 2197 2247 2409 2489 2816
Pigeons .................. 629 715 702 815 902 838 1332