38 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



THE SMITHFIELD CLUB FAT CATTLE SHOW. 



CATTLE. 



As very erroneous impressions of the relative nume- 

 rical strength of the different cattle classes, as compared 

 with last year, may arise from mere inspection and re- 

 collection, we give the following figures, stating in the 

 closest form which breeds have come up in unwonted 

 force, and which of the new classes have contributed 

 most to the increase of our present show. The entries 

 were : 



1855, 1856, 1857. 



Devons 17 21 32 



Herefords 20 21 36 



Shorthorns 40 42 43 



Scotch, Irish, and Welsh . . 16 13 18 



Other pure breeda 3 18 22 



Croag-bred 7 12 8 



Extra 9 13 17 



Total 112 140 176 



An increase, it appears, of one-third, both in the 

 Hereford and Devon classes, has been the principal 

 item in swelling the catalogue and filling the show- 

 yard, though the Shorthorns still remain a long way 

 ahead of the other breeds. The total number of cattle 

 is very much greater than on any other occasion. 



As to excellence, we have no hesitation in pronounc- 

 ing this exhibition the best ever collected together in 

 Baker-street Bazaar. Class after class presented an 

 array of animals of remarkably high character, with 

 rarely an inferior beast ; and, as we might anticipate 

 from the extension of good breeding of late years, the 

 quality is almost universally of a superior description, 

 and the huge monstrosities of fat once wondered at and 

 ridiculed have given place to animals of a more 

 profitably-feeding, early-fattening, and valuable kind. 

 The standard of merit is not now simply the amount of 

 flesh, except in the judgment of some old-school autho- 

 rities ; but the symmetry, quality, and valuable charac- 

 teristics of the animal are taken into consideration, 

 notwithstanding the circumstance of this Show being 

 purposely designed for fat stock intended for the 

 butcher. And we trust this principle will be persevered 

 in — namely, to encourage such a fatness as may indicate 

 the profitable nature of a breed, rather than mere 

 weight, regardless of expense and time wasted in its 

 attainment. 



As to individual merit, we must own that, while the 

 universal excellence proves how our various breeds are 

 progressing, instead of deteriorating, the two best ani- 

 mals in the yard cannot be set up as nobler and more 

 magnificent specimens than were ever seen before. If 

 we were to compare the gold-medal ox or cow this year 

 with those of many years back, we should undoubtedly 

 find that a great advance has been made ; but to expect 

 that every year's prize animal is absolutely to eclipse the 

 preceding one, is to consider breeding as purely mecha- 

 nical. Whereas Nature bestows her gifts of form and 

 beauty, and constitution and kindly habit, capriciously, 

 as far as world-renowned marvels of excellence are con- 

 cerned, and sometimes only at rare intervals gives us a 

 Master Butterfly or a Durham Ox. Hence the relative 

 merit of individual animals from one year to another is 

 of less importance than the amount of improvement or 

 otherwise marking an entire class, or, indeed, a whole 

 show. And, of course, the larger the number of first- 

 class animals bred, the greater the chance of obtaining 

 an ox more perfect or astonishing than the world has 



yet seen. Now we do not at all detract from the merits 

 of Mr. Wortley's gold- medal ox when we say that there 

 have been other animals which are remembered as being 

 grander in their day and generation. By affirming that 

 the best ox once was better than the best is now, we are 

 not implying the deterioration of all ; because, now, the 

 prize animal is not so far beyond all compeers as he 

 used to be — or, at any rate, there is far greater merit in 

 every beast in his class than was the case a very little 

 time back. 



The prize Shorthorn ox will remind many persons of 

 the famous Durham ox, and is remotely descended, we 

 hear, from Earl Spencer's celebrated stock. What an 

 extraordinary length and breadth, and yet most beauti- 

 ful symmetry and compactness of form ; his chine and ribs 

 most wonderfully expanded, his immense weight of flesh 

 most evenly laid on, and of first-class quality ; and his 

 head and bone fine, and very handsome. The only de- 

 ficiency appears in his thigh and twist, which might have 

 been better in proportion. His measurement is extra- 

 ordinary, the girth being no less than nine feet two inches, 

 and the length nearly six feet. Now that Mr. Wortley 

 has made such a glorious debut at Baker-street, winning 

 golden opinions with his real golden honours, and also, in 

 addition, a third prize for his Shorthorn cow, likewise of 

 his own breeding, we hope to welcome him in future 

 as an annually successful competitor. 



Last year the Shorthorns were obliged to yield one 

 of the gold medals to Mr. Heath's superb Devon; but 

 the year before, they carried ofT both, just as on the 

 present occasion. Colonel Towneley's splendid cow, four 

 years and one month old, and having had one calf, is 

 far before any other animal in her exceedingly good 

 class, and is, indeed, one of the finest we ever saw ; 

 not, however, for an immense frame or an extravagant 

 degree of over-fatness, but because of her level and 

 regular feeding, her unsurpassed touch and quality of 

 meat, united to a faultless symmetry, beauty, fine offal, 

 and neat head. But the visitors to Salisbury, York, 

 Birmingham, and elsewhere, know her so well that 

 we need not extend our expression of admiration. 

 We would only add, that if any proof were wanted of 

 the importance of fat stock shows, it is here in the fact 

 that an animal of the very purest and best breed has 

 won the day against all others, in the production of the 

 largest quantity of most valuable beef. But is she a 

 bona fide fat animal for the butcher ? Or will she be 

 taken home, and, if possible, again used as a breeding 

 cow ? Colonel Towneley also gains a second prize for an 

 exceedingly good steer in the cross or mixed-breed 

 class ; this steer and the cow being the only animals 

 exhioitedby him. 



The show of Shorthorns, as a whole, was very satis- 

 factory ; and we particularly admired the class for steers 

 or oxen above three years old, comprising some espe- 

 cially good animals, and the class of cows which con- 

 tained some amazingly good and meritorious. Yet it 

 will be observed in the list of awards that the judges 

 have given the Shorthorns little more encouragement or 

 approval than they were compelled to administer, only 

 two commendations being accorded— one to Lord South- 

 ampton's ox, and the other to Mr. Game's white cow 

 The latter is very handsome, very fat, and had she been 

 less patchy, and with more meat on her neck, would 

 have been entitled to a prize. 



In the steer class, Mr. Lynn's prize animal has a 

 wonderfully good fore-quarter, but struck us as being 



